Good, Bad, and Ugly: CageBlade Anthologies
by handidandi
Summary: Ever wondered what happened to Johnny and Sonya in those years between the end of Shao Kahn and the Netherrealm War and twenty-fives years later? Take this journey through their relationship; the good and happy, the bad nightmares, and the ugly times (including their divorce). Will feature elements from both story mode and comics. **photo by TheJudicatorr
1. Returning Home

**Disclaimer:** Oh c'mon. We all know I don't own the characters of Mortal Kombat. I only own the OCs that will make their appearances.

 **Author's Note:** Hey look, it's me again! I'm not abandoning Triple R ( _Repair, Rebuild, Renew_ ). In fact, I'm doing you guys a solid; I'm starting my companion piece. Now that I've got Sonya and Johnny in therapy, a lot of the things they have and will talk about will raise some questions because it's my head canon. So, this is the result. This is my series that will fill in the blanks between the end of MK9 and the very beginning of MKX. I got this idea from ffn pennames **Poe's Daughter** and **En-Lumine** ( _Sub-Zero Origins_ and _Takahashi Family Saga_ respectively; if you haven't read those yet, please do). This is mine for Johnny and Sonya. It'll have some dark moments, but ultimately have much more fluffy moments between them than Triple R currently has. Anyways, I'm babbling. Without further ado, I present to you...

 _ **The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: CageBlade Anthologies**_

* * *

 **Returning Home**

 _Shortly after Shao Kahn's destruction, Earthrealm, Wu Shi Academy_

The silence of the night haunts the Special Forces Lieutenant Sonya Blade. After tending to their fallen friends and giving them proper burials, she and the other survivor changed into more sleep appropriate clothing. She had shed her military fatigues and boots and was dressed painfully in a white wife beater and sky blue cotton shorts. Breathing softly, the petite blonde lies on her cot with her hands interlocked together over her bandaged abdomen. Her long hair, free from its usual low set ponytail, fans around her and drapes over the edge of her "bed" like a curtain. Her blue-green eyes (which she's sure is now bloodshot red) observe the white room in its darkness. Turning her head slowly to her right, her eyes land on the figure two spaces away from her. She sighs heavily and turns her head back to the ceiling, blinking back another wave of hot, bitter tears.

The brown haired actor's eyes fly open after feeling the vibrations of someone staring at him through the shadows. When he no longer feels them, he closes his eyes again. Seeing so many of his newfound colleagues fall at the hands of a crazed realm emperor left not only a bitter taste in Johnny Cage's mouth, but also gave him a somber and more humble mood. For years, he took advantage of the privileges of being a rich movie star with little to no regard on his and others' lives. He never had to experience the same loss as everyone else. Until now. The sleep pajama pants he was given were horribly uncomfortable, but he wouldn't complain, not after the mood Raiden the Thunder God departed in.

Sonya wanted to say something to him, but what _could_ she say? She neither had any sense of his inner feelings nor did she want to test her luck.

Johnny wanted to go over to comfort her, but how could he? He wasn't entirely keen on getting his ass kicked again by the feisty woman.

So they both sprawl on their respective cots in deafening quietness.

Until she sneezes loudly, three times in a row. Johnny can't help his manners from kicking in. "Bless you," he whispers.

After gathering her bearings, she responds back with, "Thanks."

More silence ensues between the two of them. Then: "How are you feeling?" he asks as gently as possible.

"Like shit," is her morose reply.

"Right," he notes to himself. _What a stupid question, Cage, way to go asshole._

Just when he thinks he's about to give up on conversation, Sonya clears her throat. "I'm devastated." She wipes at her tears angrily as they stubbornly keep falling down the sides of her face. "What am I supposed to tell Vera?"

"Vera?" he wonders. She now has his undivided attention, so he sits up on the cot. "Can I ask who Vera is?"

Sonya sits up as well, barely able to make out the silhouette of Johnny's body. "Vera Briggs; she's Major Briggs' wife… well, widow now."

He swallows uncomfortably. "Right," he mutters foolishly. Of course the defenders of Earthrealm had families outside of that crazy, fucked up tournament. Yet another piece of information to store under Johnny's humble transformation. "What about you? Did you tell your family about what happened today?"

An excruciating pang of sadness crunches at her heart and she chokes on a sob. "Jax _was_ family. He was the only one I had left."

"Jesus," he mumbles again. He can't win; every question he seems to ask her drove another invisible wedge between them. "I'm really sorry."

"You're not Shao Kahn or the universe; you don't owe me any apologies, Cage," she tells him. Laying back down, Sonya curls up into a ball and begins crying, trying to cover her mouth with her fist. It's ineffective; Johnny hears her gut wrenching snuffles and before he's able to stop himself, he makes his way over to her and kneels before her. "Goddammit, why did this have to happen? I had _one_ mission; one mother fucking _job_. A job I couldn't even do properly since his arms were ripped off and he was killed. I don't deserve that promotion." Sitting back up once more, Sonya leans over and throws her arms around Johnny's neck, sobbing into his shoulder. He carefully and apprehensively wraps his arms around her waist to steady her, patting her gently.

They stay in their position for what feel like hours. When she finally settles down into the occasional hiccup, she pulls away, wiping her face clumsily. "What do you suppose Raiden is gonna do?" he asks.

"I don't know," she answers. She sighs forlornly. "All I know is that we have to help Raiden protect the earth. We cannot afford anymore losses like these anymore."

"You're right," he concurs. "You've got military backing though right? Is there a way I can help out?"

She sniffles. "Maybe, I dunno. We'll see. I can talk to my…" she trails off awkwardly. Once they find out that Major Jackson Briggs was one of the casualties suffered during their adventure, who would Special Forces assign as her new CO? "I guess I can talk to them. Only if you're really serious about this, Cage. I don't want my time being wasted with empty offers."

He nods until he realizes she may not be able to see the action. "You're right, and I don't make empty offers. I want to help out if I can."

"Good. I'll keep you posted," she informs him. Turning her back towards him, she mumbles, "Good night."

He clears his throat. "Yeah… night," he tells her, going back over to his cot and laying down on it.

After a beat of silence, she adds, "You _can_ move yourself closer. I don't bite."

He raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "I know." Nonetheless, he gets up again and makes his way to the cot right next to her, pushing it closer to hers. He carefully sets himself on it, unfolding a thin blanket and draping it over the two of them. "Good night Lieutenant Blade."

"Good night Cage," she responds through a tired yawn.

* * *

It's been a few days since Shao Kahn's defeat and the two survivors are getting ready to go back to California in the United States, Sonya to the countryside of Napa and Johnny to the sunny beaches of Venice. On the Special Forces jet, Sonya's quiet while Johnny's having an angry conversation with his agent. "Dude, I just fucking told you what happened. Why would I make this shit up? No, we can't do a movie about it!" He listens on the phone before screaming, "BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE _DIED_ , CHUCK!"

At Johnny's mention of death, Sonya gulps and sighs, burying her head in her hands. She was on her way to Vera and Jax's home where she would break the news of his death. No matter how much she mentally prepares herself, nothing will ever soften the blow of delivering such news to someone. It never gets any easier as she continues up the ladder in her career.

About ten hours later, they arrive in Los Angeles International Airport where Johnny and Sonya would part ways, him to his condo and her on another small jet to Napa Valley. Pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head, he calls out to Sonya, "Hey!"

She turns back around, her ponytail swinging behind her. "Yeah, Cage?" she answers.

He does a light jog to where she's standing by the gate. "Here. You should take down my number. Let me know when you're in town."

She frowns. "I'd rather not," she states, void of any real emotion.

He narrows his eyes. "Look, I'm not trying to get into your pants. I was just offering a friendly olive branch. But never mind, I won't waste our time," he retorts. Shoving his glasses back on his face, he turns around and begins walking away from her.

"Wait!" she stops him. He pauses and turns back around slowly. She beckons him over to her with a wave of her hand. "Here. I'll give you my number, but don't call me unless it's an emergency, all right?"

"You got it," he responds. He takes out his phone and hands it to her. She puts in her number and gives his phone back. "Let me just text you so you have my number." She nods and he sends her a text. "Done."

"All right," she replies. They stand in the middle of the terminal awkwardly, awaiting each other's next move. "Well, I have a plane to catch."

"Yeah, I have some snoozes to catch as well," he jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood a little. He grins when he manages to catch the tiniest flicker of a smile on her face. "Be safe, Lieutenant."

"You too Cage, take care of yourself," she advises before turning on her heel and walking (marching) to the gate. He waits until she disappears from his line of vision before turning to find his way out of the airport and to his personal driver.

When he gets into his unmarked Ford Expedition, he hears a ping on his phone, signaling the arrival of a new text. He checks his phone to see two new text messages, one from his ex and one from an unknown number. He grunts reproachfully as he reads the text from Cindy. 'Hiya hon, I'm back in LA. We should link up sometime, Johnny boy.'

"Yeah, no," he mutters before deleting the message. He checks the other message from the number which his phone notifies him as a text from Austin, Texas. "Texas?" he muses aloud. Shrugging, he checks the message and his heart skips a beat.

'Cage, this is Lieutenant Sonya Blade. This is my personal number. Do not abuse the privilege.'

He can't help the stupid grin that spreads across his face as he rereads the text about a dozen times before finally saving her number. His happy mood falls when he realizes the possibility of her never texting or calling him. With a sigh, he hops out of the car and drags his suitcase to his condo. After settling back into his home, he sends her another text which reads: 'Got it. I won't abuse your phone. Good luck with Mrs. Briggs.'

Not expecting a response so quickly, he jumps when his phone beeps again. 'Thanks. I'm gonna need it… and several drinks.'

Collapsing into bed, Johnny takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "What a month," he laments, closing his eyes and listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean.

* * *

 **A/N:** Go easy on me with the reviews! :) I appreciate them a lot. Also to note, these are entirely head canons. If they turn out to be canon then... *shrugs* so I don't want/need flames/complaints unless it's constructive. Thanks a lot for reading guys!


	2. New Allies

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat in any way, shape, or form. Thanks.

 **Author's Note:** Oh, my gosh! I was not expecting the reception I've gotten thus far for the first chapter. Thank you guys a million. I'm really glad you're all enjoying it so far. Here's chapter 2.

* * *

 **New Allies**

After breaking the news of Jax's death to first his widow and then her CO and partners, Sonya finds herself suddenly transferred to the United States Army Department in Los Angeles a few months later. Quite frankly, she was ready for a new change anyhow; she served no purpose in Camp Mabry after her twin brother Daniel died and she was interested in Fort Bragg no longer after her longtime partner was brutally murdered in front of her.

Speaking of her deceased partner… "Kano," she growls angrily, causing a few soldiers to stare at her in disbelief as she's sitting in the cafeteria with a file in front of her. "Don't you have something to do?!" she snaps at them nastily. They jump at her tone and walk away, occasionally looking back at the woman.

Great, she just alienated potential allies with her bitchy attitude. She was going to have to make new associates and quick; she refused to call it 'friendships' because friends either turned into lovers or family. And Sonya Blade was done losing family and lovers. With a sigh, she opens her file to read through the reports of her mission on trying to capture that Australian bastard on Shang Tsung's island.

"Lieutenant Blade?" a male voice looms over her. Startled, she jumps and then mutters an angry string of curses at her papers flying around her. "Sorry," the man tells her as he bends down to pick up her papers. When he gathers them all together, he hands it back to her. "You're Lieutenant Blade, right?"

"I am," she answers slowly, frowning at the order of her reports. "What do you need from me?" she commands until she looks up at the man and sees the silver oak leaf insignia pinned on the man's left breast pocket, recognizing his rank as Lieutenant Colonel. "Sir," she adds as an afterthought. Embarrassed, she tries to maintain friendly eye contact.

The higher ranked man chuckles slightly. "At ease Blade, I was just making my rounds. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Blake, but you may address me as Colonel. I was told I'd find you here?"

"Yes," she answers, "I was just looking over my reports from my last mission."

He nods. "Yes, I understand you come to us from Fort Bragg? Impressive, I must say. What brings you out here to the other side of this great land?"

 _I have no family left in Austin and my best friend died, perhaps?_ She thinks to herself bitterly. Instead, she says, "I needed a change of scenery."

Blake nods once again. "Understandable. Do you mind if we continued this conversation in my office? I have a request for you and I would like to look over your files as well."

Sonya gulped. "Um… okay, that's fine Colonel." She has no choice but to follow the slightly older man to his office.

* * *

"Oh my God, you're Johnny Cage!" a young woman squeals. Halfway through a bite of his double cheeseburger, Johnny lowers the sandwich from his grip and wipes his mouth on a napkin with a frown. "Wow, I never thought I'd see you here with regular folks," the stunning blue eyed brunette gushes over him as she seats herself opposite of him on the booth uninvited.

He frowns at the new guest. "Yeah, that's because I _am_ a regular person," he reminds her, taking a sip from his milkshake.

"Ha, ha, I know that, silly string bean. I'm not so regular myself," she chirps, completely disregarding his statement. "I'm Stasi Chambers—"

" _The_ Stasi Chambers?" he yelps, gaping at her. She nods, her ponytail bouncing on her head. "Wow, that's just… wow… you want anything to eat or drink? Or are you on a diet?" He gives her a second glance and shakes his head at himself. "Never mind, what am I saying?"

She laughs a sparkly laugh and steals a French fry from him. "It's okay, I get that a lot," she informs him. "It's actually a great thing I've run into you. I'm having this huge Halloween party at the mansion. I wanted to invite you while I gush over the amazing work you did in Ninja Mime."

Johnny rubs his forehead. "One, Halloween is still about three months away from now and two, that movie was a disaster."

She chuckles as she takes another fry. "I'm aware. But you know how crazy full these parties can get. Why don't you get your invite while it's hot off the press, huh?"

He strokes his chin thoughtfully. "If I'm able to bring a guest, I'll think about going?" he bargains with her.

"Uh huh, that's totally fine with me. It'll be a lot of fun, I promise," she proposes. "I'll mark you down as Johnny Cage plus one. You'll have until the week before to cancel, okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool," he agrees.

"Awesome!" she chirps again. Stealing one more fry from his plate, she winks at him and leaves.

The encounter with the model causes a flurry of emotions to bubble up to the surface. The moment he mentioned wanting to bring one more guest, he thought of one person and one person only. He wasn't entirely sure she'd agree to such a stupid event. But he wanted to try, even though he figured she was busy with her own life.

* * *

"Mmm hmm, you were second-in-command to your CO Jackson V. Briggs. Your history is impeccable, Lieutenant Blade," Colonel Blake tells her. Sonya tries to keep a straight face as he continues to remind her of the work she and Jax had done as partners. "Ahh, here we are," he marvels. She gulps in return. "Says here that because of the work you've done, you're a bit overdue for the promotion of Captain."

She nods, her hands folded behind her back. "Yes, sir," she states.

Closing her file, Blake gives her a genuine smile. "Well, I don't think you deserve to be Captain Blade."

Sonya's eyes go wide in shock. She desperately fights the impulse to shout at him, or break something in his office. "I'm sorry?" she asks incredulously, her voice taking a serious nose dive, a sign that she's about to lose her temper.

Folding his hands, Blake continues, "That's because I think you deserve to be Major." She blinks at him, the anger immediately dissipating from her. "Has a better ring to it anyways. Major Sonya Blade. That way, you'll be directly under me. What do you think?"

Absolutely gob smacked, Sonya opens and closes her mouth repeatedly akin to a fish out of water. Finally, she squeaks, "Major?" He nods and smirks. "I uh… well, thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me, Blade. I don't intend on replacing you as your best friend, but I do intend on being a reliable and trusting CO for you… not that I believe Briggs wasn't one for you," he adds hurriedly when he sees the look of insult cross her features. "And you'll have your own brigade to oversee as you see fit. Report back to me Monday morning at 600 hours for your first assignment as Major."

"Yes sir," she answers, still waiting to be dismissed. He gives her a nod, effectively dismissing her. "Thank you sir, I appreciate this a lot."

"No need to thank me. And while we're on the subject, there's no need to address me as 'sir'. You can call me Leonard, or Lenny, or if those make you uncomfortable, you can call me Blake."

"Yes sir… uh… I mean, yes Colonel Blake. Thank you again." He smiles at her formality. She turns and leaves his office while remembering it was only Tuesday. He basically gave her almost a week off. Unsure of what to do with her free time, she walks off the base and pulls out her phone. She dials Jax's number and it takes his phone going straight to voicemail to remember he's no longer able to reach his phone. Swallowing awkwardly, she ends the call and blinks back tears. "Goddammit Jax, I miss you," she whimpers in the air to herself.

Looking through her measly list of contacts, she stumbles across an unsaved number on her phone. Frowning, she opens up a new text message with the number before her phone shows her the text history. Oh. Dialing the number, she hopes and waits for the person to pick up the phone. When the phone goes to voicemail after a few rings, she decides to leave a message. "Hi, this is Sonya Blade. Are you available tomorrow? We should grab some coffee. I'm in town so call me back at your earliest convenience." Satisfied with the message, she hangs up.

* * *

The next morning, Sonya finds herself at the unfamiliar 50's style diner. She looks around, observing the tanned bodies of the patrons standing out against the black and white tiling of the floors. She's sure she looks completely out of place; she's wearing her army print jacket and a light green t-shirt with a pair of black jeans and her favorite black lace up combat boots with a one inch chunky heel. Feeling like a stuffy military brat, she lets her hair out of its large bun and it cascades down her shoulders, landing halfway down her back. It's too late for her to resort to a braid, so she just decides to run her fingers through her hair in an attempt to create some volume.

Her guest slides into the booth opposite of her, grinning broadly and his ocean blue eyes sparkling charmingly. "Hey baby," he drawls, pushing his sunglasses on top of his head.

"Don't make me regret asking you here, Cage," she warns him.

Johnny continues to smirk at her as she notices his clothes were more suited for the weather. He's wearing a blue V-neck shirt and a pair of khaki cargo shorts. "Aww c'mon, I'm just joking. Hey Lieutenant Blade," he amends his statement as he salutes her.

"Idiot," she mutters as she rolls her eyes. "Well, as of today, it's actually Major Blade, thank you very much."

His eyes go wide in shock. "Oh wow, congratulations Major," he salutes her again. They sit in silence between them as she looks at the menu and debates on whether she should eat or not. "So, what's happening?" he asks her as he flags a waiter down.

"Absolutely nothing," she mumbles as the waitress in a blue skirt uniform and a white and blue checkered apron introduces herself to the two of them. "Can I get your Colombian coffee? Black with three sugars please."

"Sure thing," the blonde waitress responds. "And you, sugar dumpling?" she winks at Johnny.

Johnny gives her his dazzling smile and turns up the charm. "Lemme get the same coffee as the lady, four creams and two sugars. Also, can I get your big breakfast platter, darling?"

"Mmm hmm, I'll be back with your orders," she tells them sweetly. She takes their menus and leaves.

Sonya raises an eyebrow at him. "Do you flirt with _everything_ that walks on two legs?" she admonishes him.

"Only the pretty ones," he replies with a wink. She scoffs, throwing her head back and folding her arms in disgust. "So tell me, Lieu— er, I mean _Major_ , what brought you to this side of the woods?"

She sighs, running a hand through her hair again. "I was just stationed here," she informs him. His eyebrows rise suspiciously. "Last place Jax and I were stationed together was Fort Bragg."

"Oh… that's on the other side, right?"

"Yep. Now that Jax is gone, my team and I have been separated, and I have no reason to go back 'home'," she explains, doing the quote gesture on home. "So I've just been transferred here. Next thing you know, I got promoted and I don't go back until Monday."

"So basically, you're looking to kill some time here?" Johnny asks Sonya as their waitress comes back with their respective coffees. "Thanks Lisa, you're a doll," he compliments her.

"Anytime. Your food will be here shortly, all right?" she lets him know. He nods and she walks away again.

Sonya picks up her coffee and brings it closer to her mouth, blowing out some of the steam. Carefully, she takes a sip. Immediately, her impassive face turns into one of unadulterated joy as she takes two more sips. "Wow."

Johnny cringes. "Something wrong?"

She shakes her head as she continues. "No, this coffee is amazing," she marvels as she continues her small sips. Johnny takes a sip of his own coffee and nods in agreement with her. "But how can you enjoy the coffee with that ridiculous amount of creamer in it?"

He shrugs. "I like my coffee like my women, sweet," he tells her. She heaves an annoyed sigh and takes one more sip of her beverage. "No, I'm joking. I've always enjoyed my coffee like this. Force of habit, I suppose. But you're one to talk. I never pegged you as a sweet coffee person myself."

"It's still black," she reasons.

"Be that as it may, but you still put sugar in it. I didn't expect that from you," he debates. She shrugs, conceding to his point for the time being. A few minutes later, their waitress comes back with his food: four sunny side eggs, two hash browns, four sausages patties, four strips of bacon, two slices of cooked ham, a side of four pancakes, and a bowl of hot grits, butter melted in the middle. "You're the best Lis," he thanks their waitress.

"Oh, honey, only for you," she blushes, walking away once more.

Sonya stares at his plate in disbelief. "Um… you're gonna eat all of that, Cage?" she wonders. She was not ready to admit that she may have been a bit hungry.

He laughs. "Are you kidding me?" he teases. She's expecting him to say something pointing to an affirmative. So, she chokes on her coffee when he replies, "You're sharing with me."

She coughs a bit, reaching for one of his napkins. "I couldn't."

"I insist. I only really got the big platter so we _can_ share it," he informs her. She gives him a reproachful look. "I don't like to waste food."

"Neither do I," she admits.

"So… dig in," he coaxes her. He slides the plate of pancakes over to her with a small smile. Dammit, she _was_ hungry. With another sigh, she unravels her fork from her napkin and stabs at two pancakes, shaking the table and scaring Johnny. With a bashful look, she places two pancakes on his already overflowing plate while taking a hash brown and three slices of bacon. "Oh, so you like bacon, huh?"

She rolls her eyes. "I like meat, period."

"That's what she said," he jokes. She gives him a hard stare. "I'm only kidding again, Major."

For some strange reason, she can't help the smirk that slowly crosses her features. "We do things big in Texas. If it ain't huge, we don't want it," she joins in on his jest.

Johnny chuckles as he cuts into the other hash brown. "That I believe. So you're from Texas, huh?"

"Mmm hmm, born and raised," she answers him through a bite of hash brown and bacon. "You seem like a sunshine kind of boy, so you had to have grown up in the sun. Am I right? By a coastal city I'm thinking?"

He nods, swallowing his food before verbally answering. "You'd be right. I grew up right here in the City of Angels. That's why everybody knows me. Lisa was my high school sweetheart."

She swallows uneasily. "Oh, that explains some things," she responds, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"Do you really think of me as a flirt bag?"

Unable to answer the question right away, Sonya clears her throat again and takes a sip of her coffee. "I don't know. You were fairly quick to lay the charm on thick to me."

"True," he agrees. With a final nod, his sunglasses fall down to his face, perfectly covering his eyes. He pushes them back up on his head again. "Believe it or not, I'm not like that with _every_ woman that walks by. I was raised in a house, not a pigsty."

She bites her lips. "Fair enough." She finishes the rest of her coffee and reaches for the bowl of grits. "Do you mind?" He gestures for her to take it. "Thanks, Cage. I really appreciate this."

He laughs lightly. "It's just grits," he reminds her.

"That's not what I meant. I meant… I appreciate the company. I don't know a lot of people here so… I'm relieved I at least know you. Well, not _know_ you know you. But you know what I mean, right?" He smiles at her. "I could use some… allies."

"Allies… not even friends, but _allies_?" Johnny frowns.

Sonya rolls her eyes. "Fine. We can be friends, I guess," she yields. His grin becomes wider. "But _just_ friends, all right? Don't get your hopes up with me."

He rolls his eyes playfully. "So I don't even have a sliver of a chance?"

A spoonful of grits halfway to her mouth falls back into her bowl as she levels a serious look with him. Placing the spoon inside of the bowl, she pushes it aside and leans forward, her green eyes meeting his blue. "We can be _friends_ and allies. If you need someone to talk to, I'll be there and vice versa." She cocks her head to the side. "But if you want even an _iota_ of a chance with me romantically, you'd have to get me to take you more seriously, and that won't be the easiest feat. Copy that, Cage?"

He calmly folds his hands under his chin, leaning forward into her. "Oh, I copy that, Major Blade," he responds with a smirk, making her glare at him. He finalizes his statement with a wink and she scoffs, sloping back into her chair with her arms folded. Their waitress Lisa comes over to them. "Hey honey, can I get this to go and the check please?"

"No problem, Johnny," she tells him.

When she leaves, Sonya raises an eyebrow at him. "What?" he asks innocently, compelling her to let out a grunt of irritation.

"Idiot," she murmurs for the second time that day.

 **A/N:** You guys are awesome. Please review!


	3. What Happens in Vegas

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Mortal Kombat. Only my few OCs that make their appearances here and there.

 **Author's Note:** So I've gotten a couple of reviews that asked about the other characters. Don't worry, they're going to make their entrances sooner or later. But with that said, also keep in mind that as far as this part goes, they're still revenants, so I'm trying to work them in through that as well. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

 **What Happens In Vegas**

The friendship between the action star and the military major was a weird one. She'd get sent on missions with her teams while he'd be on a movie set local to him. When she came back from her deployment, he'd gallivant around the globe promoting said movie while she stayed on base finishing up reports. The only time they really talked was over the phone at the most inconvenient of times; however, it worked for them, as they had reoccurring nightmares of the tournament.

The next time they saw each other was the week of Halloween, six months after they'd met and approximately three months after they declared a "friendship" with each other. Johnny slaps a palm on his forehead when his phone's caller ID reads Anastasia Chambers. "Fuck, the Halloween party!" he cries in epiphany. Clearing his throat, he answers the phone with a smooth, "Johnny Cage."

"Hey Johnny! It's Stasi. Have you asked your guest about the party yet? I'm assuming that's why you haven't RSVP'd," she tells him politely.

He sighs. "You'd be right. But I have good reason. We've both been really busy."

"Course I understand," she responds. "Well, I just wanted to give you a heads up before you heard from someone else. Cindy is going to the party."

He narrows his eyes. "Cindy?" he balks.

"Oh Johnny honey," she starts to explain, "Please know that I wasn't the one to invite her. I don't want any drama at my shindig and I really wanted you to come. I hope this doesn't change things."

 _This changes everything_ he thinks bitterly to himself. "Nah, it's okay. I won't cause any trouble at your party. Unlike her, I'm able to be a mature adult."

He knows Stasi is frowning on the other side of the phone. "All right," she starts slowly. "Well, in any case, I hope to see you?"

"Yeah, I'll still go," he assures her with a frown on his face. They bid each other adieu and he throws his phone on the bed. He rubs his temples as his phone rings again. He slowly walks over to his phone to see the caller ID as Sonya Blade. His heart skips several beats and he clears his throat to quell the sudden quivering of his voice. "Johnny Cage."

"It's Major Blade," she greets, wasting no time with niceties.

"I'm aware," he reminds her.

"Right," she responds, shaking her head. "Anyways, I've just come back from my tour in Mexico."

"You went to Mexico without me, Blade?" he teases before sobering up.

"Yep, had a grand old time in MEH-he-coh," she replies, pronouncing the country the Spanish way. He hears the smile in her voice and his heart calms down a bit. "What are your plans for Halloween?"

He grins happily. "I'm so glad you asked, Sonya," he answers.

"Oh fuck," she mutters.

"I'm going to a party out in Vegas. Have you ever been there?"

"To Vegas?" she wonders. "Unfortunately I have."

"Great. So I was wondering if you'd like to come."

Sonya hums as she hears a knock on her office door. "What is it?" she commands the person at her door. It opens to reveal her new favorite (though she won't admit it) soldier, Sergeant Cassandra "Sandy" Pierson. "Come in, Pierson," she addresses the woman politely. "Hold a second, Cage."

Sandy enters her office, holding a file in her hand. "Sorry to bother you, Major. Colonel Blake wanted you to look over this file before your next mission," she tells her commanding officer.

Sonya nods, gesturing for her to rest the folder on top of her growing file. Sandy places it gently on top before the entire stack falls down with a plop. Papers are shuffled everywhere. "Mother fucking—"

"I'm sorry!" Sandy squeaks in fright.

Rubbing her forehead with the pads of her fingers, Sonya sighs. "It's all right, Sandy. I'll fix it later," she tells the younger girl gently. Had it been anyone else, Sonya would've screamed at them and assigned them to latrine duty. With her head ducked down, Sandy leaves the office. Picking her phone back up, Sonya asks, "You still there, Cage?"

"Yep, still here."

"I could use the break. I just need to get through all of this paperwork, but I'm sure I can delegate. When and where should I meet you?"

He thinks about it for a second. "You can meet me at the airport," he ultimately tells her, giving her instructions on where and when to meet him. When they finish their conversation, he hangs up the phone. After lying on his bed for a while, Johnny muses to himself, "I need a costume."

* * *

"Dammit, I need a costume," Sonya mutters when she begins packing for her overnight trip to Vegas, which she leaves for the next day. In her small apartment near the base, she looks through her closet to see if she can scrounge something together. Finding nothing but her multiple fatigues, she growls. "Dammit Cage," she scowls.

A few minutes later, she finds herself at the local costume shop, her hair in a braid and her sunglasses plastered to her face. "Hi, need help finding a costume?" the sales woman asks Sonya politely.

"No, thank you," she responds just as graciously as she browses through the sections. If Mr. Johnny Cage thinks she's going to show more skin than necessary, he has another thing coming. So she looks through the women's section and sees a gypsy princess costume with a long cobalt blue skirt with gold chains draped across the top, a white cropped long sleeve petticoat and a matching head tie.

Staring at the costume curiously, she tries to imagine herself wearing it. Satisfied with her internal vision, she searches for a small and finds it quickly. "All right. This'll have to do," she mumbles to herself. She's about to go to the register to pay until she realizes she may need some makeup. With an eye roll, she searches for some costume makeup and jewelry. Finally content, she stands on the line patiently and ultimately purchases her items.

On the men's side of the shop, Johnny mutters in disgust, unable to find a suitable costume for himself. "Jesus," he mumbles for the umpteenth time.

"Need help sir?" the store clerk asks him.

He's about to turn down the help until he takes a moment to contemplate. With a growing smirk, Johnny wonders, "Where are your pirate costumes for men?"

"Just over there," he responds, pointing to the back section.

"Nice. Thanks kid." The store clerk raises his eyebrow at Johnny but leaves him to his own devices. When he finds the perfect one, he pumps his fist triumphantly. He stands on the line awaiting his turn when he sees a familiar blonde on the line in front of him. His first instinct is to skip the line to pester her, but he fights the urge to do so and leaves the woman in peace. _It's not even her, you idiot_ he chides himself. Plus, he further reasons with himself, he was going to see her at the airport tomorrow, so his feelings could wait.

Finally arriving back home, he starts throwing random items into his suitcase; toiletries, his favorite light blue Terry cloth robe with his name engraved on the chest, some money, two towels, three extra shirts, and two pairs of jeans find their way into his luggage, albeit sloppily. After a moment of thought, an eye patch flies into his suitcase as well before he walks over to his bed and closes it with some difficulty. "Well," he muses, "I guess that's everything."

* * *

At the airport the next day, Sonya stands by their gate, relaying instructions to her team over the phone. She sees Johnny approaching and briefly acknowledges him before turning back to her conversation. "Make sure the reports from San Cabo Lucas gets on Blake's desk by Monday at 10 am the latest," she instructs the person on the other line. With a final nod, she says, "Good. Blade out." She frowns at her phone. "Goodbye, Sandy."

If he's not mistaken, Johnny can see the tinge of a blush forming on her face as she hangs up the phone. Smirking, he teases, "Ready for me, Sonya?"

"God no," she tells him. His face falls until he sees her smirking at him. "Yeah, I'm ready to be stuck to you all weekend."

He throws a playfully offended hand to his heart dramatically. "Aww Sonya, you wound me. It won't be _that_ bad being stuck to me."

She blinks at him. "Right," she stresses skeptically. Johnny hands Sonya her boarding pass and they walk to the waiting area together. She observes her ticket and notices her seat is a window seat. "Let me see your ticket," she demands, holding out her hand and wiggling her fingers.

"You sure are bossy in the morning, aren't ya?" he laughs but gives it to her. "I hope you don't mind us sitting next to each other. These were the last two tickets available and I hate the window seat."

She nods as she still looks at their boarding passes, going back and forth between the two. "This is fine," she tells him as she gives him back his pass. She sighs as she slips on her sunglasses.

He glances over at her after hearing her. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," she answers, frowning behind her glasses. She hears the airport attendants announce boarding for first class to Vegas. When she sees him walking she lightly grabs his arm and ask, "Where are you going?"

"Uh… it's time for us to get on the plane?" he answers slowly. Her eyes widen and she rips off her glasses to stare at him. "What?"

"First class?!" He nods. "I… okay."

He gives her a tiny smile. "You've never been in first class, have you?"

"… No," she tells him, looking away from him awkwardly.

He wraps an arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her towards him. "Welcome to my life, baby."

She shoves his arm off her shoulder. "Do _not_ call me your baby, Cage," she orders him.

"All right fine, I won't call you baby, _honey_ ," he teases her as they walk to the ticket counter and hand over their passes to be scanned. He yelps as she pinches him. "Aww c'mon, I'm only teasing you."

"Jesus, help us both," she mutters. He grins at her. She rolls her eyes at him.

* * *

Sonya frowns at the bright lights of McCarran Airport, slipping her sunglasses on again. Sitting next to Johnny almost turned into a nightmare for her. For one, he was an armrest hog. Every time she tried to lay her head on the rest, his sleeping form shoved her closer to the window. Also, he was a victim of sporadic snoring; Sonya had to pinch the bridge of his nose several times before she got some relief. Unfortunately, it was right before they had to land, so she was exhausted by the time they picked up their luggage.

Luckily, Johnny senses her ill mood and decides to leave her alone, only directing her to their airport shuttle to get to the MGM Grand. "Hello there darling," he drawls at the front desk receptionist, causing the young woman to blush. Sonya scoffs behind him. "I have a room booked for the weekend? The name's Carlton. John Carlton."

The woman giggles. No problem, let me just get your credit card and ID," she tells him. He hands her the information and she enters it into her computer. "All right, Mr. Carlton, you're all set. Enjoy your weekend here."

"Will do," he replies with a wink. When Sonya tries to go up to the woman, Johnny pulls her gently. "Come Sonya, everything is already set."

She narrows her eyes at him. "What?! We're sharing a room?!" she asks him incredulously. He gives her a smirk. "Goddammit Cage!"

"Easy Sonya, easy," he coaxed her, "the room has two separate beds. You'll like it, I promise." With an annoyed grunt, she follows him to the elevator and he presses the button 23. "My bed is big enough to share though."

"Shut up, Cage," she grits at him. He holds up a hand in defense.

When she gets up to their suite, she ceases to be amazed or shocked at his grandiose spending and immediately makes a beeline for the first bed she sees. She all but jumps on the bed, bouncing around before grabbing a pillow. "Thank God," she muffles into the pillow, breathing in the scent of fresh laundry. Exhaustion seeping into her bones, she begins falling asleep.

"Sonya? Uh… that's my bed," he tells her.

"Not anymore," she responds with a deep breath. She feels him climbing into the bed next to her.

"I'm sorry I was such a horrible flight mate."

She slowly lifts her head to face him. "If you let me have my nap, all will be forgiven," she bargains with him.

"Deal, because truth be told, I didn't have a good sleep either."

She turns to her left side to face him. "Oh?" she wonders, her features turning concerned. "How come?"

He sighs and takes off his glasses, throwing them haphazardly on the night stand. "Every time I try to close my eyes at night, the last thing I see is Liu Liu's charred body on the floor and the look of horror on Raiden's face." He swallows uneasily. "I'm used to seeing that kind of stuff in my movies, you know? But it's not real. Not on screen. At times I can still smell the burned flesh and it just…" He turns to his right side so he's facing her. "I don't know how you do it, Sonya. I do it in movies. After the director calls cut, I get to go home and have a beer or something. But you do it every day. How do you cope with that?"

She takes a deep breath and fiddles with her ponytail. "Honestly? I don't know. I just do, you know?"

"You must've seen a lot in your days, huh?"

"Yeah," she gulps. Clearing her throat, she continues, "Whenever I think about how much I've been through, I take a step back and tell myself that I signed up for this. It doesn't get easier to watch people you've grown close to die in your arms. The minute it _does_ get easier is the minute I retire. And that's not going to happen anytime soon, unfortunately."

He grabs a pillow and cradles it close to his body. "I know you and Major Briggs were close friends, so it can't be easy to deal with that. I know I keep saying it, but I _am_ really sorry."

"It's fine. I've had to make peace with it. It's not easy, but Jax would've hated me moping around. I'm more worried about his wife… widow." She heaves a forlorn sigh. "Is it bad that I still wish there was a way to bring them back?"

He shakes his head. "It's not a healthy thought, but I understand," he tells her gently. Her eyes begin drooping unbeknownst to Johnny, so she grunts at him when he calls her softly. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to explore a little, but you seem tired, so I'll let you rest."

"Thanks," she tells him before closing her eyes once more.

* * *

When Sonya wakes up later in the evening, Johnny is walking around their room shirtless, something she rolls her eyes at. "Will you put on a shirt?" she berates him.

He throws a wink in her direction. "Get used to it. You're lucky I'm not in the buff like I usually am."

"Ugh," she responds with an eye roll. Getting up from the bed, she goes into her duffle bag and takes out a white frilly button down and a pair of jeans. "I'm going to shower."

"Aww, too bad I already had one. I'd ask to join you."

"You're such an ass," she groans, grabbing a towel from the cabinet. He blows her a kiss and she flips him off before closing the door behind her. Sinking down to the floor she buries her head in her hands and lets out a quiet sob. Tears leaked from her eyes and down her face as she remembered sharing similar banter with her ex partner. She couldn't help but notice the similarities between him and Johnny. And it made her feel weird inside.

"You okay in there, Sonya?" his voice breaks through her reverie.

Sniffing, she wipes her eyes and stands up. "I'm fine," she answers. With a long sigh, she turns on the water and adjusts the water to her liking, feeling the need for a long hot shower.

Meanwhile, Johnny is flicking through the channels trying to find something decent to watch while he kills time waiting for Sonya to finish her shower. He suddenly finds one of his movies airing on HBO and smirks. When she emerges from the bathroom in her new clothes, she eyes him suspiciously. "What?"

"Why do you look like that?" she questions him.

"Like what?" he counters innocently.

"Like you're the bad cat who ate the canary…" she replies. He simply pats the space next to him and she begrudgingly complies, shifting to the other side of the bed. "Oh no… is this one of your movies?"

"Ninja Mime," he responds. She shakes her head at him and tries to pay attention to the film, pointedly ignoring the steadily climbing thumps of her heart. After about an hour, she grabs the remote and presses the power button repeatedly, accidently turning the TV off and on again. "Easy on the remote, Sonya," he tells her gently, easing the remote control from her hands. "That bad?"

She blinks at the television. "What… in the actual fuck… was _that_ shit?"

She's expecting him to brag about the success he's had with the movie. So in a rare moment, her jaw becomes unhinged when he responds with, "My worst movie to date." He frowns at her. "What? I'm able to admit when something of mines is horrible."

Unable to say a word, Sonya continues to stare at Johnny wide eyed and open mouthed. "Wow," she finally says after a long pause.

"Yeah. The worst idea my agent has ever came up with," he explains.

"I mean… a ninja is supposed to be silent and deadly. A mime is also supposed to be quiet. The fact that the damn ninja mime was anything _but_ is just… what the fuck."

He shrugs but gives her a grin. "Apparent it was a hit in France though, so that's something." They lie in bed in stillness, looking at everything in the room but each other. Then, "Wanna see an Elvis impersonator tonight?"

She chuckles. "Sure, why not?" she answers with a noncommittal shrug. They both roll off the bed and she walks over the bureau to dab on some lip gloss while he goes to the bathroom to fix his hair. A few minutes later as he's closing the door, she asks, "You have the room key?"

"Mmm hmm," he replies as he hands her a copy. "You have your copy in case you feel like exploring on your own."

"Eh, I'll stick with you, but thanks." She smiles at him and it's hard for him to stop the upward tugging of his own lips. _This ought to be fun_ , he thinks to himself as she loops an arm through his.

* * *

 **A/N:** Part two is coming up next time. Meanwhile, I'll try to get an update ready for my other fic. Please review as per usual.


	4. Stays in Vegas

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Mortal Kombat.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long. I've been super busy with work and stuff (you know the holidays and such). Anyways, I hope you guys are still out there reading. As a treat, you'll be getting some clues and juicy stuff happening in the next few chapters. Enjoy as usual! Part two of their trip.

* * *

… **Stays in Vegas**

It didn't matter that they shared a large pitcher of frozen lime margarita, nor did it matter that after shedding her clothes in a semi-drunken state, she collapsed in bed face first. What mattered to Sonya when she woke up in the morning was that Johnny was lying in bed shirtless next to her.

Lifting her head blearily, she looks around the room, her green eyes landing on Johnny's baby blues. "Oh my God," she moans.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Johnny teases Sonya.

She sits up in bed with great mental difficulty. "We had sex, didn't we?"

Johnny has two options: tell the truth, or… "I didn't know you were such a vixen, Major," he teases her.

No, they didn't have sex; no matter how many times she threw herself at him, he refused her each time, opting to sleep on the other smaller bed instead. Though he inwardly admits how fun it is to rile up the normally serious military woman, so he keeps at his game for the time being.

"Oh God!" she wails.

He laughs. "Yeah, you kept saying that a lot, honey."

She covers her face with her hands and screams. "I'm going to kill you!"

Johnny smirks. _Just one more joke_ , he reasons. "If you kill me, you'll be a military widow. Now, do you _really_ want that to happen?" And his face falls when Sonya bursts into tears. "Wow, being married to me makes you _cry_? I'm actually kinda hurt, Sonya," he jests lightly, although he hears the twinge of hurt that creeps up his voice.

She wipes her eyes clumsily. "It's not that. It's just… I don't have any family and… I didn't wanna get married like this," she rambles between sobs.

He feels horrible now. He mentally prepares to get his ass kicked by her when he admits, "No, we didn't get married and no, we didn't have sex. I promise, okay?"

Her eyes flash angrily and he cringes away from her. Finding no point on getting angry with him, her face softens, much to her own chagrin and his relief. "Okay, you got me," she tells him. She starts to chuckle which soon turns into giggles and evolves into hysterical laughter. "Goddammit Cage, you got me good."

He lets out a nervous laugh. "Uh… thanks?" _Great_ , he thinks, _she's gonna kick my ass later._ As she begins to stretch, her blue bra lifts ever so slightly, and he has to look away to save himself. "Are you okay other than that? You need any aspirin?"

She rubs at her forehead. "Yeah. And some coffee by chance," she responds, lying back in bed. "Hey Cage?" she stops him as he's about to leave the room.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," she tells him.

He smiles at her. "No worries."

* * *

He can't fight off the feelings he has. As he's looking through the pharmacy aisles for ibuprofen or something else for her headache, a thought nags at him. In the middle of the aisle, he reflects on last night.

 _Johnny opened their hotel room with difficulty, hanging a squirming Sonya over his shoulders. "Cagey, put me down please? I'm sorta dizzy."_

" _I still can't believe you drank the pitcher by yourself. I only had two glasses," he teased her with a laugh._

" _It was tasty," was her slurred response. When he finally crossed over to the king sized bed, he placed her down on top as gently as he could. "And if I remember correctly, you were the one who thought I couldn't handle my liquor."_

 _Johnny stared at her in disbelief. "Honey, I never doubted that. I just didn't_ _ **want**_ _you to handle so much alcohol."_

 _He turned to walk away when she stood up (albeit wobbly) and tried to follow him. "Where ya goin'?" she asked akin to a child._

 _He scratched his head. "Gonna go lie on the other bed."_

" _No, no, no," she responded as she grabbed his arm, "you can share with me." Deciding to humor her, he let her drag him to the bed, but looked away when she began undressing. When she was down to her underwear and bra she grabbed his hand again, pressing him flush to her body. She tilted her head upwards but he leaned away from her. "Aww c'mon, you're acting like you've never thought about me."_

 _He gulped. The blonde was surely testing his will in Sin City. "I can't."_

" _Why not?" she wondered as she pouted at him with her full lips._

 _He swallowed again. "Because, you're inebriated and it would be wrong of me to do anything."_

" _But I'm consenting," she tried to reason with him._

" _If you were sober, I'd agree. But you aren't, so we won't."_

 _Sonya folded her arms petulantly at him. "Fine," she reluctantly conceded. "But one of these days, you'll beg me and I'll remember this."_

 _Placing a hand on her shoulder, he looked into her eyes and replied, "Honey, I doubt you'll even remember this conversation."_

" _Liar," she argued._

 _Rolling his eyes, Johnny released his grip and made her lie back down. "Sleep, Sonya, okay?"_

" _Yeah, yeah," she yawned, buying her head in the pillows and immediately falling asleep._

"Sir?" a voice interrupts his musing. He snaps back to reality and faces the worker. "Are you finding everything okay?"

"Yep, thanks," he tells her before walking away from the aisle. He buys his items and stops by the breakfast hall to grab some food for the both of them, remembering Sonya's coffee with three sugars.

* * *

When Johnny comes back to the room, he quirks an eyebrow at her as she blushes and she quickly closes a tab on the internet. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she answers a little too quickly. He walks over to the hotel desktop and finds her logged into her military credentials. "I can't help it, okay? I'm here having too many drinks and they're all at the base trying to figure out these attacks in Indochina."

He nods, understanding her predicament. "Did you want to go home today?" She thinks for a minute. Then slowly, she shakes her head. "Are you absolutely sure? I can get you on a plane in an hour."

She rolls her eyes. "Unless _you_ don't want me here, I'm not going home."

Taken aback, Johnny tries desperately to back track. "No, no! I don't want you to leave… I just realize how important your rank is. You're basically doing what Jax did, so I understand that it's a lot."

She nods. "Well, thank you for understanding, but I'm fine. I'll go home tomorrow. We leave tomorrow, right?"

"Mmm hmm," he answers with a pat on her shoulder. He places her coffee and the travel tube of Advil on the desk. "Three sugars in your coffee, right?"

She picks it up and takes a sip. "Yep, thanks a lot."

"No problem. I'll be in the shower," he informs her.

"I bet you will be," she teases. His sunglasses fly off his face due to the double take he does. "What?" she asks innocently, typing on the computer.

He chuckles. "Nothing," he answers, shaking his head and closing the bathroom door behind him.

When she's sure he's in the bathroom, she reopens her previously closed tab and continues her email. She heaves a sad sigh as her fingers move across the keyboard aimlessly. She then opened another tab to research nightmares.

Though it's been over three years, she still has recurring nightmares of her mission gone badly with the Black Dragon. She'll never forget the look of betrayal and disappointment from her team as they realize they've been duped by the actual leader. She also won't forget the look of defeat from her partner or the way she screamed as his life ended right before her eyes.

Sonya continues to stare at the computer screen, even after Johnny gets out of the shower and dresses in a V-neck black shirt and some dark rinse jeans. "Why are you crying?" he inquires tenderly.

"Huh?" She wipes her eyes hastily. She hadn't realized she was crying until she felt the wetness of her hand. "I'm okay," she replies.

"Sonya," he starts, putting a hand on her shoulder for the second time that day, "you're allowed to mourn as long as you need to."

She swallows uneasily. "I wasn't thinking about Jax this time… not for the reason you think."

He sits down on the floor by Sonya's feet. "Talk to me," he coaches.

With a sigh, she slides to the floor next to him. "I've been chasing this mercenary faction down for years and I have absolutely no lead on them. That bastard keeps eluding us. I feel like I was trapped into the stupid tournament because of that fucking Australian asshole. "

"You're talking about that dude Kano who threw me off that bridge?" She nods. "Next time I see him, he's getting a punch down under."

She turns to him, her eyes brightening with mirth. "He'd deserve it."

"Good, because I'd do it and no one is allowed to stop me," he states, folding his arms over his chest. She laughs at him. He tries not to stare at her bare shoulders and legs; she hadn't moved to put on any decent clothing as she was still in her bra and underwear. After a while, he asks, "Are you planning on getting dressed any time soon?"

She gives him an evil smirk. "No, I'm not," she responds slowly, standing up. "Why? Am I bothering you, Mister Cage?"

He looks away. "N-no," he stutters. "I just thought you'd be the type to already be dressed and ready to take on the day."

She shrugs, waiting to catch his eye before she begins swinging her hips as she walks towards her duffle bag near the bed. "I'm on vacation dude, and it's just me and you right now. Therefore, I'm allowed to do what I want. I'll go back to being Major Blade when we get back to LA." His eyes go wide as she slips on a pair of jeans agonizingly slow. She kicks her leg in the air and points her toes to the ceiling. "Oh, don't act like you've never seen a woman put on her jeans before."

Closing his mouth, Johnny stares at Sonya. "I mean, I _have_ but I mean… what are you doing now?"

She giggles at Johnny's expression at having caught her turn around and unhooking her bra. "Changing my bra Cage, get over it."

"You're a tease, you know that?" he warns her.

She laughs as she slips on a white camisole and turns to face him again. "Yet I don't see you doing anything about it," she taunts him with her hands on her hips. She expects him to wrestle her to the bed or something, so she gets more than she bargained for when he tackles her quarterback style and begins tickling her. "W-wait, I'm t-ticklish!" she laughs as she tries to pry his fingers from under her arms.

"You started it, Major!" he chuckles as his fingers press into her ribs, causing her to squeal and giggle. His chuckles turn into laughter when she catches him under the chin with her deft fingers. "No!" He finally pins her hands underneath him, both of them breathing heavily. Staring into each others eyes, he breathes, "What's stopping me right now, Sonya?"

She gulps. "We shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because you and I both know it's going to ruin the friend dynamic we have."

"But if it were any other day…" he leaves the question hanging in the air between them.

He doesn't expect her to give him an answer. He smirks when she responds with, "Then maybe."

"Good enough for me," he says, sneaking a kiss to her cheek. She rolls her eyes and playfully wipes the invisible trail of saliva from her face. "So the party is tonight and it's only a quarter after twelve. What did you want to do?"

She shrugs. "I'm fine with staying here for now. We can go grab lunch later," she tells him.

"All right, we can do that. And I have the perfect movie to watch," he responds. She eyes him warily but sits on the bed Indian style. And she groans when he puts on the movie _Massive Strike_. "What? It's one of my better movies."

"Conceited bone head," she mutters as she reluctantly watches the movie with him, moving to lie down on the other side of the bed in order to be closer to the television.

* * *

Both fall asleep watching Johnny's movies, causing Sonya to yelp, "Oh fuck!" as she wakes up. Johnny's eyes fly open and he sits up in bed hurriedly. Before he's able to gather his bearings, he falls off the bed in a heap of tangled limbs and blankets, something Sonya laughs at. "You all right there, Cage?"

"I'm fantastic," is his sarcastic rebuttal as he drags himself from the floor. She's already halfway dressed when Johnny finally makes it to his luggage. She begins messing with her hair, intent on pulling it into a messy bun when Johnny's voice cuts through the air with, "You should leave it out."

"Yeah, no," she mutters, hanging her head upside down and scratching her scalp. When she finishes, she brushes her hair to the side with her fingers. "Okay fine Cage, I'll leave it out," she ultimately decides.

"It looks great. You look amazing," he genuinely compliments as she begins applying black eyeliner to the bottom eye lid.

She smiles at him. "Thanks." He continues fussing with his hair as she puts on some sparkly mascara. "You're not bad looking yourself there, Cagey."

He smirks. "Thanks doll." She finally finishes putting on the last of her costume jewelry as he fixes his eye patch once more. "Ready?"

"Always," she responds. They link arms with each other as he calls a cab from his phone. When they get downstairs, she's shocked to see a limo pull up. "Cage, no!"

"Okay Sonya, the only rule I have for tonight is that I have to insist on you calling me John. Please?" he practically begs her.

She sighs, defeated. "All right," she agrees, "only because you asked nicely." He moves to open the door for her. "Thanks."

When Sonya slides into the limo, she's seated next to Stasi who's wearing a sexy bunny costume consisting of a black leotard, a headband with bunny ears on it, and her face painted with whiskers and a nose. Johnny sits next to Sonya and wraps an arm around her shoulder. "What's happening, Stasi?" he greets happily.

"Hey, Johnny!" she chirps. Turning to Sonya, she introduces herself. "Hi, I'm Stasi. I love your costume."

Sonya's trying to decipher whether the young girl next to her is being genuine or not. When she decides she's harmless, Sonya smiles at her. "Major Sonya Blade," she replies.

Stasi's jaw hits her chin. "Oh! Oh wow, cool!" Then in a moment of realization, she slaps a palm on her forehead. "Oh, no!"

Sonya and Johnny frowns. "What?" they ask simultaneously.

Leveling a look at Johnny, Stasi responds, "Our _favorite_ person is going as a military girl. Oh, this is awkward."

Sonya frowns in confusion as Johnny covers his face with his hands. "Fuck me," he mutters.

"Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Sonya demands.

She glares at Johnny as he groans. "My ex… she's going to be at the party."

Oh. Sonya snorts. "No sweat, I got this. I can handle it. So long as she doesn't get smart mouthed with me, it'll be fine."

"Thing is Sonya, she probably _will_ get smart mouthed with you," Johnny admits.

"Yeah," Stasi adds. "She's from _Bah-stahn_ ," she mocks.

Rolling her eyes, Sonya replies with, "And I'm from Texas. I'll smack the taste out of her mouth if need be."

Stasi dissolves into girlish giggles. "Oh my goodness, I like you already!" Startling Sonya, Stasi pulls her into a hug. "This is gonna be a-ma-zing!"

* * *

Sonya stands in front of the punch bowl awkwardly, taking pretend sips of her drink. She spent most of the night following Johnny around which, as a result, made her feel like a lost puppy. She hated it. So when he turned around, she disappeared.

But now she's standing alone and it makes her feel even more uneasy. Just as she decides to turn around to find either Johnny or Stasi, she bumps into someone hard and her drink lands at their feet. "What the hell?!" the woman screams.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Sonya apologizes, grabbing some napkins off the table.

The woman scoffs. "Don't even bother," she snaps rudely, snatching the tissues from Sonya's hand.

Immediately, Sonya's face flushes in anger as she stares the woman up and down. Buxom brunette, bright blue eyes, red painted on her lips, military dress outfit complete with a beret, New England accent… great, this had to be Johnny's ex. Regardless of who she is or _was_ , this woman has no right shouting at her like that. "Maybe you forgot to learn your ass some manners. Firstly, I've already apologized; it was an accident. Secondly, don't grab from me. And thirdly—"

"Excuse me, excuse me," Sonya hears Johnny's voice cut through the crowd with. He steps between the two ladies who are glaring at each other harshly. "Hey, hey… there's no need for hostility."

"Well, maybe this clumsy bitch should watch where the fuck she's going," the brunette grouses as she wipes her chest. "She spilled her fucking drink on me!"

"I _said_ I was sorry. Did you not hear me, or did it fly past your spray tanned face?" is Sonya's nasty rebuttal. The woman gapes as Johnny purses his lips, mainly as an effort not to laugh.

Taking a step forward past Johnny, the brunette goes, "Listen here, you blonde bimbo—"

"Oh, _I'm_ the bimbo? Says the one in that tacky military getup. You should at least do research on what militia personnel wears before you try to trash up their image with your tasteless, classless, uneducated—"

"Oh, _I'm_ uneducated? I'll show ya uneducated, ya blonde hussy."

"Oh, please do try to show that you don't have the vocabulary of a well-rounded teaspoon."

By this time, both women are trying to push past Johnny to get in each other's faces. Sonya isn't backing down because she'd be damned to let some distastefully dressed woman insult her and her career. "Stop," Johnny growls at the brunette, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Nice to see you too sweet cheeks," she mutters sarcastically. "Did you not see the way she bumped into me?"

"I'm not going to repeat myself again: it was… an accident," Sonya defends herself.

Johnny places a gentle finger on Sonya's lips, causing her to snarl at him. "Cindy, it was an accident. You'll get over it."

Cindy folds her arms over her chest. "Since when have you become a public defense attorney for blonde bitches like her?"

"I'll show you a blonde bitch," Sonya starts, walking around Johnny before he uses his arm to hold her back.

"Walk away… now," Johnny commands darkly.

Just then, Stasi materializes from behind Cindy. "All right… let's go," she chides, grabbing Cindy by the arms abrasively and dragging her away from the two of them, pushing through the crowd.

Sonya takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly on a count of ten, trying to stabilize her angry huffing. When she's slightly calmer, she sarcastically notes, "That was fun."

"I'm really sorry about her, Sonya," Johnny tells her remorsefully. She waves a hand dismissively. "I don't know what the hell her problem is."

"Apparently, she's got a thing against blondes," Sonya shrugs. "Whatever."

Johnny rubs his forehead. "Still, you didn't deserve that. I know you didn't run into her on purpose." Sonya folds her arms and frowns. "Why don't you just stay next to me for the rest of the night?"

"Because," she starts, "I don't want to look like a destitute, lost puppy. The last thing Sonya Blade will be is a fucking groupie."

"You're not gonna be a groupie by being next to me. You're my guest, okay? But if you're ready to leave, just let me know and we'll leave."

Sonya's face falls. She doesn't want to ruin his night just because she felt uncomfortable. With a breathy sigh, she states, "I… I'm fine. We can stay longer. I'm sorry I'm such a horrible guest."

He wraps an arm around her shoulder. "You're not being a horrible guest, hon; you're fine." Johnny notices a photographer taking pictures. "Hey, you, can you take a picture of me and this beautiful woman here please?" The young man nods and smiles while Johnny pulls her slightly closer and looks down at her. She smiles as the flash goes off. The photographer shows them the picture. "I like it," Johnny tells him with a smile. When he walks away, Johnny guides her back to his group of friends. "Did I tell you how amazing you look?"

She blushes. "You did, but thank you again Cage… John," she amends her statement.

He gives her his dazzling smile. "Thank _you_ , Major."

Her face hurt from beaming so much.

* * *

 **A/N:** Review darlings. And if I don't get another chapter in before or on Christmas, I wish you guys the best holidays.


	5. Can't Help Falling

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters you recognize. Thanks

 **Author's Note:** So sorry! I've been busy with work and such because of the holidays. As a result for not being able to update in a while, I've uploaded a new chapter in _Repair, Rebuild, Renew_ as well. Hope you enjoy both!

* * *

 **Can't Help Falling**

It's inevitable.

Sonya Blade has a crush on Johnny fucking Cage. And she can't stop herself.

It started from their mini vacation to Vegas at the damn Halloween party. She smiled every time he mentioned her as his date for the night, instead of friends as they'd previously agreed on. She grinned way too hard after they shared another dance, with him promising it was the last one each time. She giggled a little too obnoxiously when he made an inside joke between the two of them. And she frowned a little too deep when they parted ways with a quick hug at the airport the next day.

The worst part of having a crush on the actor for Sonya was the dreams she had. Some of them were nightmares; she imagined Johnny chained to a pipe instead of her old partner, or she was forced to watch as Johnny involuntarily pressed a gun to her temple as he was threatened to kill her or be killed. A couple of dreams were dreams of longing; oh, how her heart ached when she'd wake up with tears streaming down her face because she knew her deceased twin brother Daniel and Johnny would've gotten along swimmingly, each taking turns annoying the shit out of her. And most dreams were just downright naughty; more often than not, she woke up with a damp spot on her bed and a flush to her face.

On the seventh consecutive night of explicit dreaming, she wakes up with a start, holding her head in her hands. "What the actual fuck?" she gripes as per usual. She bangs her fists on the bed before untangling herself from her sheets in her private dorm on base. Because of her sexual desires, she's now in a horrible mood and she feels herself becoming more and more hostile as the minutes tick by. Her cold shower doesn't quell her thoughts either, and by the time she's ready to go into her office adjacent to Colonel Blake, she's in an ill mood.

Flinging the door open, she growls at the stack of reports on her desk. "You have got to be fucking _kidding_ me right now!"

"Major Blade?" she hears a fellow male officer call to her.

She whips around and barks, "What?"

Frightened of his superior officer, he clears his throat. "I was going to tell you that one of your files actually belongs to Blake."

"So take it to Blake then," she snaps bitterly.

"Yes ma'am," the sergeant mutters, walking to her desk and removing one of the bigger files off her desk. "Sorry to bother you."

"It is fine," she responds before realizing the man already left her office in a rush. Great, more people she's alienating because of her foul attitude. With a sigh, she plops on her desk and pulls out one of her files labeled "Mysterious Breach". As she's reading through it, she hears a knock on the door. Deciding to appear unaffected by her shitty morning, she lightly responds, "Enter."

And Johnny fucking Cage enters her office as though he owns the place. "Hello sunshine," he hails with a huge smile on his face and a brown paper bag in his hand.

Her left eye twitches in irritation as the right side of her lips are threatening to curl up into a smirk. _Goddammit, make up your mind_ , she scolds her face. "Hi John, you needed something?"

"Mmm hmm," he answers jovially as he walks to her desk and places the bag in front of her. "I brought you some breakfast." With a raised eyebrow, she opens the bag to find a small plastic container of grits, a paper foil with a single hash brown, and another small container with sausage links in it. "Can't forget the meat."

Sonya smiles a little too enthusiastically at the delivery before checking herself. "Thanks," she tells him as she pulls the grits out of the bag with a plastic spoon. Her face heats up as she realizes Johnny is still in her office. "Anything else?"

"You should spend Thanksgiving with me," he blurts.

Her spoon of grits falls back into the container as she looks at him through her eyelashes. "Huh?"

He inwardly cringes. "Sorry. I meant did you want to spend Thanksgiving with me?"

She continues blinking at him. "I uh…" she starts before she realizes something. "Damn I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm actually going on a mission soon and I don't think I'll be back for Thanksgiving. I'm not even sure I'll be back for Christmas."

His face falls. "Oh, right," he remembers. Of course she'd be sacrificing her holidays so everyone else can enjoy theirs. "Wow, that kinda sucks, Sonya."

She shrugs as she finally swallows a mouthful of her food. "It's part of the job," she admits in reluctant defeat. "Besides, it's not like I have family to come home to anyways."

"You have me," he reminds her.

She levels another look at him. "I know, and I appreciate that," she tells him with a sad smile. "If I get home in time for Christmas, I'll visit you. Deal?"

His grin is enough to cause another stupid blush to form over her face. "Deal, Major," he agrees, holding out his hand for her to shake, which she takes.

* * *

That night in his room at home, Johnny stares at the ceiling as he hears the lighthouse horns going off in the distance. With his hands folded over his abdomen, he thinks of the blonde military major. Unlike her, he's already way past the crush stage; he's practically in love with her, especially after the way she held her own against his bitchy ex-wife. They'd only been divorced about a year now, but Cindy still managed to make his life a living nightmare by suddenly appearing everywhere he went, minus the tournament ("Thank fuck," he thinks to himself).

Speaking of Cindy, after Stasi told him what she'd said about Sonya, he yelled at her and she burst into dramatic tears, leaving Stasi shell shocked, Johnny irritated and Sonya… Sonya smirked at the display. "She has a sexy smile," he muses aloud. His thoughts sober up when he thinks back to their conversation at the diner. He didn't think he had a chance with her still, even after Vegas. Sure, she laughed at his corny jokes and danced with him every time he asked. But he's certain she was really only being polite. Sonya was… _diplomatic_.

Fate tests him when his phone pings with a text message from Sonya. "Can't sleep. You awake, Cage?"

Maybe she had another nightmare. "I'm awake. What's up, buttercup?"

His phone rings and he picks up. "You like finding new pet names for me, don't you?" she laughs lightly.

Her voice sends a pleasant chill down his spine. "Maybe I do. You said not to call you baby so I have to find other names for you, sugar dumpling," he teases.

"Disgusting," she says in a deadpan voice. "Anyways, I can't sleep."

"Me neither," he tells her. They're quiet on the phone for a long time; so long each thinks the other is asleep… until Johnny sneezes loudly into the receiver. "Sorry," he apologizes.

"Bless you," she responds. More awkward silence ensues between them. Then: "I had another nightmare."

He sighs. "That sucks. Wanna talk about it?"

He hears the blush in her voice when she replies, "I'd rather not."

"Any reason why?"

"I uh… okay, it wasn't a nightmare so much. It was just weird. Maybe I'll tell you later when I feel more comfortable."

He grins. "You had a dirty dream, didn't you?"

"No," she lies to herself. "I have to ask you a question; did I try to come onto you in Vegas?"

He's silent for a while before he begins laughing, causing her to growl. "So, the other shoe has finally dropped," he chuckles.

"Goddamn you Cage, just answer my question before I hurt you," she snaps at him.

He's used to her barking orders at him by this time and his laughter leaves her further incensed. "You don't remember trying to get me to sleep with you? I told you that would happen."

"Did you really?" she questions him emotionlessly.

"Your exact words were 'one day you'll beg me and I'll remember this', to which I responded with, 'honey, I doubt you'll even remember this conversation.' Aww, you're so cute when you're sauced."

"I was _not_ sauced!" she argues helplessly.

"Babe, I swore you were gonna jump into the Jacuzzi naked with the way you shed your clothes," he reminds her as she groans. "But in all seriousness, I'm glad you fell asleep after you took off your clothes; you're an easy person to deal with when… _not_ sauced." The last bit he adds sarcastically with an eye roll.

Sonya mutters to herself. "You can't see it, but I'm sticking my middle finger up at you," she informs him.

"I know you are," he kindly concedes.

She's quiet on the other line again. Then: "I'm grateful you didn't try to take advantage of me when I was inebriated, John."

"Of course, I would never do that to a woman. But, it does make me feel amazing that drunken Sonya wanted to have her dirty way with me."

"Don't ruin this moment, Cage," she warns him. She mutters to herself, "It's been a long time."

"How long?" he asks because he heard her.

Sonya's eyes pop open. "Oh God, did I say that out loud?"

Johnny turns over in his bed so he's lying on his side. "You did."

She scoffs. "It's been a while, Cage. A _long_ while; I'm sure if I wasn't tipsy and you were someone else, we would've… yeah."

He laughs. "The fact that you said if I were someone else… I'm a sex god, thank you very much," he brags.

"Listen here, John Robert Carlton, I'll have you know that… never mind."

"How'd you find out my name?"

Her eyes go wide in shock. _Way to go; now you've creeped him out with your stalking_ , she scolds herself. "I uh… I kinda sorta maybe ran a background check on you?"

He gapes. "You did?" he laughs. _Of course she would, she can do that because she's military. Maybe she isn't_ _ **supposed**_ _to, but she_ _ **can**_. "Anything else interesting?" he inquires. _I wonder if my first marriage is there_.

"Uh…" she contemplates, "you sure you want me to go there?" He hums affirmatively. "Well… you were born 10:28 at night on your birthday, which makes you a Cancer, both parents are still alive and well, your blood is the universal receiver so I can save your life but you can't save mines. What a shame."

"All of that from your report?"

"I was very thorough," she responds with a chuckle. "I didn't know you had a degree, let alone a master's. That's pretty impressive."

He genuinely smiles. "Thanks Sonya. For once, I didn't get a snobby or baffled reaction from someone when I mention it, hence why I don't anymore."

"I appreciate hard work," she tells him. "Would you think of me less if I told you I didn't go to college?"

Johnny sits up in bed. "Not at all, hon," he honestly answers. "I'm now aware of the fact that not everyone has had the same privileges as me, so I can't fault someone for it, you know?"

"True. My brother and I literally couldn't afford to go to college; even though we were technically independents, we didn't have enough to spend four years in college. So, I went off to military camp while he joined the police academy." Why Sonya's telling Johnny her life story still bewilders her, but she finds it surprisingly easy to talk to him even with the slight pang of hurt hitting her in the heart. "I became the youngest Staff Sergeant while he became one of Austin's youngest detectives."

"Detective and Sergeant Blade. That sounds amazing to be honest," he compliments her.

"Thanks," she accepts, swallowing uncomfortably. "I suddenly miss my brother a lot," she blurts, trying her best not to cry.

Johnny wishes he could teleport like Raiden and comfort her since he hears the mourning in her voice. "I'm sure he's proud of you Sonya, both him and your dad."

"Yeah," she mumbles softly. "Can you do me a favor, Cage?"

"Of course," he responds a little too enthusiastically. He clears his throat. "Sure."

"Don't do anything stupid or reckless, all right?" she tells (demands) him.

He frowns. "Okay… I won't?" he agrees apprehensively.

She lets out a soft, humorless chuckle. "I say this because I've grown to care about you. And people I care about have a habit of dying, not necessarily because they've been stupid and reckless, but just… don't, okay?"

His heart swells. "Okay, I'll do my best," he replies.

"Good," she finalizes and he can hear the smile in her voice. "I'm gonna try to sleep now. Good night."

"Night Sonya," he departs before hanging up the call. Lying back in bed, he grins. "Aww, she cares about me," he muses.

* * *

It completely slips her mind, but Sonya forgets to tell Johnny she left for her near suicide mission out in Israel until she witnesses one of her comrades being smothered to death with a home made tear gas bomb. She refused to shed tears even though she felt sick to her stomach, so she bottled it up for a couple of weeks until she was told by Lieutenant Colonel Blake that her teams had an extended tour with the possibility of ringing in the New Year away from home.

She couldn't take it anymore. Finding a quiet spot in the desert in the afternoon, she uses her satellite phone and dials his number, unaware of the time difference. She hears him fumbling with the phone before snapping, "Whoever you are calling me at four in the fucking morning… you're an evil son of a bitch."

And like a blubbering fool, she profusely apologizes and bursts into tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

" _Sonya_?"

"I'm sorry," she moans again through tears, "I just needed to talk to you."

"I'm the one who's sorry Sonya. Talk to me," he assures her.

She sighs. "I don't think I'm coming back any time soon," she informs him.

He can't help the stab of pain that hits him. "Will you be okay?" he asks. Forget how he feels, he's more worried about her well being. There's a first…

"I want to go home. I hate it here," Sonya complains. It's odd for her to act this way; she prides herself on having a stomach and will of steel. It's even more surprising that of all people she's talking to, she's talking to Johnny; the actor whom she once said was a self-centered prick. Every day he proves her wrong is another day she wakes up and apologizes to him internally.

She's so swept up in her feelings she doesn't register the group of Israeli soldiers making their way to her spot until she hears their distinctive voices shouting, "Find her!" in their native language.

"I'm not sure I'll be home for Christmas or the New Year, so if I don't speak to you again between them, have yourself a Merry Christmas and a happy New Years and everything," she tells him, trying not to let her voice give away her position. She knew the risks of calling him anyways, so now she had to deal.

Johnny hears the sudden change of tone in Sonya's voice. "You okay?"

"I have to go," she whispers, hiding in a ditch and checking the magazine in her AK47. "See you," she tells him before abruptly hanging up.

A few hours later, she finds herself in the infirmary with a bruised face and her L3 rib cracked. A few of her lieutenants and Blake are watching her carefully as she finds it hard to breathe. "It could've been worse," she moans.

"You could've been _killed_ , Major Blade," Lieutenant Gutierrez tells her as he shakes his head at her.

She grunts sarcastically. "Compared to being here, that would've been a blessing," she jokes before launching into a coughing fit. She sucks in a deep breath as the nurse shoos the men away and checks on her lungs again. "I'm all right."

"No, you are not. You have to rest," the nurse scolds her.

"Will she be okay to return back to her convoy?" Blake questions the nurse.

The woman is quiet for a long time, cleaning up Sonya's wounds. When she finally begins an IV drip into Sonya's system, she turns back to the Lieutenant Colonel and answers, "As soon as she heals, she's going to her motherland."

Blake's eye twitches angrily. "Over my dead body."

"It shall be over your dead body then," the nurse responds nastily before pulling out a pistol from her chest. The men pull out their guns before she laughs evilly. "Do you really expect to get out of here alive? I don't think so. You see, if you kill me with your guns, you'll die as well."

"This was a set up?!" a sergeant mutters in disbelief. Unbeknownst to them, Sonya has already ripped off the IV from her veins. Although hurting and a bit groggy from her delayed reaction, she crawls on all fours towards the woman. She catches Blake's eye and gives him a silent signal to put down his gun. He gives his men the same signal and they slowly lower their weapons.

"Foolish people. You should have listened to the bitch when she said not to bring her here. Too bad she'll be the first to go."

"Not today," Sonya responds before snapping her neck. The nurse crumbles to the floor and her men are shocked. "The fuck are you people waiting for? There is a bunch of hostiles waiting on that end," she tells them as she points to her right. "So go out that way," she commands as she points behind them.

* * *

After Sonya hung up on him that morning, he'd been unable to sleep or focus properly in any capacity for the next few weeks. He tried calling her back at 90 minute intervals the same day but after the fourth time, he started to believe the worst. He also figured he wasn't helping her case by doing that so he stopped.

A couple of weeks pass with absolutely no contact from her, so he ends up spending Thanksgiving with his parents, sister, and baby nephew Cameron. He enjoys himself, but his thoughts are preoccupied with Sonya's well being.

It isn't until Christmas Eve he hears anything about Sonya. But he doesn't hear from her commanding officer.

He hears from Raiden himself.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, I'm slowly starting to work in how they found out about the revenants, so stay tuned for that. And review as always!


	6. At Square One

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own it.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait here. You'll finally get a godly bonus (puns if you squint). Also, many thanks to penname **En-Lumine** for her expertise on a certain… someone you'll find out soon enough. Here's the next chapter.

* * *

 **At Square One**

 _Wu Shi Academy, New Year's Day_

Johnny can't sleep; it's four am and he's supposed to be resting while Raiden watches over them, but he can't help but stare at the sleeping woman next to him. He fights the urge to caress her cheek or brush the tendrils of hair sticking to her forehead.

"I can feel you staring at me," Sonya remarks with her eyes closed. He balks, heart galloping in his chest guiltily. She sits up and comes face to face with the actor. She rolls her eyes in the dark and turns her head away. "Why aren't you sleeping?" she inquires.

"I can't," he responds. She sighs when he adds, "I was worried about you."

"I'm _fine_ , Cage," she grits bitterly.

"Yeah? Because it took about two hours to heal you in that… whatever the fuck Rai-Dude called it," he argues.

"You mean the _Jinsei_?" she corrects him.

"Whatever," he mutters childishly.

She narrows her eyes at him. "So you're worried. That's a reason to get all antsy and upset?"

He folds his arms. "You could've _died_ , Sonya."

"I can die at any time on _any_ mission I go on, Cage. Get over it!" she snaps at him. The extra energy she exerts yelling at him causes a sharp stab of pain right below her sternum. "Ow, Goddammit John, stop aggravating me."

"Sorry," he bites sarcastically. He stands up and walks over to a cot on the other side of the room.

She sighs heavily. "I'm sorry, okay?" she renounces, running her hands through her hair. "I didn't expect my mission to end the way it did, all right?" _And I missed you too, idiot_ , is her unspoken thought.

He reclines back on the bed. "I know," he submits. He swallows hard. "I keep forgetting how dangerous your job gets, so I'm the one who's sorry." The two of them are quiet for a while. Then, Johnny asks a burning question: "Why do you think Raiden brought us here?"

She threads her fingers together and places them lightly on her abdomen. "No fucking clue. I didn't even tell my C.O when I'd be back," she responds.

"What was your excuse?"

"I needed to heal in a spa with no reception. I told him a satellite phone wouldn't work here…" she explains with a light chuckle. "And you?"

Johnny shrugs from his spot on the bed. "I told my family I was going international until further notice."

Sonya sits up quickly and winces at the pain it causes her. "And they've accepted that?" she wonders incredulously. She hears him hum affirmatively and she continues, "Even if Dad was alive, he'd have a coronary if I said the same thing."

"Oh, my family is fine about the situation. My agent however did not take too well to it, so he'd be right in the field of heart attacks," he informs her.

"Ahh, the exception to the rule."

"To be fair, the last time I 'went international' was—"

"During the tournament," she finishes his statement for him.

Right. Here they were, almost a year later and their relationship has evolved into close friendship. If she didn't have such a ridiculous crush on him, she might have gone on to maybe _possibly_ call him her best friend. Well, lovers can be best friends, right? "They can be," she hears him speak after a while.

"Huh?" she asks.

He chuckles. "Lovers _can_ be best friends. You were thinking aloud again," he answers her unveiled question.

"I don't even realize I do it," she enlightens him. She had to ask, "Do you consider us close friends?"

"Yeah," he replies without hesitation and her heart squeezes at his fast response. "Do you?"

She gulps. "I guess."

He lets out a humorless chuckle. "You don't sound too happy about that."

"I don't mean to sound unhappy about it. I just," she starts. She closes her eyes, struggling to hold the tears in. "I don't have many friends, that's all. I'm honestly surprised you even answered so swiftly."

He feels bad for her. Before the tournament or them becoming friends, he would've credited her bitterness to a jilted lover of some sort. But after getting to know her, he realizes she doesn't have a lot of friends because she's lost a good chunk of them and not entirely by choice either. Just as he was worried for her well-being, she would be of his as well, reacting even harsher than he if the situation had been reversed.

"Well, we're friends now, so you're stuck with me," he jokes lightly.

She laughs dryly. "I'm excited," she states, deadpan. She turns to her uninjured side. "I'm going to sleep. Good night."

"Night, hon," he tells her.

* * *

In the morning, Raiden takes Sonya and Johnny to his sky temple where Fujin awaits their arrival. "Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Earthrealm's warriors," Fujin greets them both with a gracious bow.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Fujin," Sonya responds as she returns the gesture. Johnny on the other hand, doesn't say anything because he knows he's bound to make up a weird nickname for the Wind God.

Raiden gestures to a table set up for tea. "Please," he tells them politely. Sonya raises an eyebrow skeptically. She sits down on her knees and Johnny sits Indian style next to her, scooting closer so his knee is touching her thigh. A flush makes its way to her face and Raiden catches it. "Are you feeling well, Sonya Blade?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," she answers, looking down in mortification.

Raiden begins pouring tea into their cups as Fujin pushes the milk and sugar closer to them. Johnny and Sonya both reach for the sugar, fingers touching each other with a tiny jolt of shock. Her face gets even redder and he grins slowly. "Ladies first," he tells her, retracting his hand.

Raiden and Fujin share a knowing look the two champions completely miss. When they are settled with their hot beverages, Raiden begins speaking somberly, "It has been exactly one year since I have begun choosing my champions for the tenth tournament. It was also on this time when my visions began." Sonya nods while Johnny sips his tea quietly. "I did not expect to suffer so many casualties at the hands of Shao Kahn. In trying to prevent incurring his wrath, I have caused so much pain. For that, I am truly sorry."

Sonya swallows uncomfortably as she thinks of Jax, Nightwolf, Stryker, Kabal, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Jade, and Kitana lying on the floor either dead or on death's doorstep via a corrupted Sindel. Despite the glaringly poor choices Raiden made in regards to preventing his visions from coming true, she knows he tried. "You did your best, Raiden," she tells him.

"Yeah dude… I mean, Raiden. We know how hard you tried," he agrees.

"Despite Shao Kahn's defeat, something alarming has come to our attention," Fujin continues. He waits until Johnny stops chewing on his toast to continue. "Shao Kahn has been manipulated by the events."

"Like, mind control or something?" Johnny asks.

"Can you be serious for a second?" Sonya chides him with a frown.

"No, Johnny Cage is correct," Raiden informs her. Sonya frowns when he gives her a gloating look. "His anger and greed had been easy to manipulate, especially by a former elder god."

"There are more of you?!" Sonya blurts before covering her mouth with a hand. "Sorry," she mutters. Johnny Cage was rubbing off on her. He chuckles at her embarrassment. "Shut up, John," she grumbles.

"To answer your questions, yes, Shao Kahn's actions were controlled by a corrupted former elder god Shinnok. He has tried to take over Earthrealm for many millennia until his fellow deities locked him in the Netherrealm," Fujin explains.

"But now, what we have feared has come to fruition," Raiden picks up where his companion left off. Sonya and Johnny blink at the two of them in shock. "It is much worse than we have imagined. Your fellow champions are servants under Shinnok's rule."

Johnny continues to blink in confusion while Sonya gapes, understanding the gist of what she's being told. "Okay, so you mean to tell me that they're _alive_?"

Fujin places his cup on the table. "Not quite. They are in their revenant forms."

"What the hell does _that_ even mean?" Johnny blurts as he picks up the teapot to pour some more tea for he and Sonya.

Raiden and Fujin turn to give each other another look as Sonya picks up her cup again. "It means they are undead servants, a hollow shell of their former selves. Their minds have been altered to beget hate, resentment, and loathing."

The cup slips from Sonya's grasp, crashing to the table in little pieces. In the midst of pouring another cup of tea, Johnny pauses, spilling it everywhere and hissing slightly when it burns his wrists. "So they're dead but not dead… oh God," she mutters, forcing the bile down her throat. "Even though we saw them die…"

Johnny puts the teapot down slowly, gulping uncomfortably. "How can … I mean, _can_ we even save them?"

Raiden nods. "Once we locate Quan Chi, we will do so. It seems he has disappeared into the Netherrealm after the tournament ceased."

Sonya brings her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around, rocking back and forth. "I can't believe this happened," she laments, tears quickly finding their way down her face. Johnny tries to put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she rebukes him with, "Please don't." He retracts his arm as quickly as possible.

"We will require your assistance of course," Fujin tells the two of them.

Johnny nods. "Of course," he answers. Slowly but surely, she nods in agreement, wiping her face bitterly.

* * *

A few days later, a new occupant sits alone on his bed, checking his fluorescent blue katana with his hands, relying on his sense of touch. Johnny's in the shower, so it's just this new stranger and Sonya alone in the room. She stares as he carefully folds his protective clothing next to him. He rubs at his blindfolded eyes and runs a hand through his jet black hair. "Can I help you?" he asks her with a twinge of annoyance laced in his voice.

She gasps lightly, having been caught gawking. "Sorry," she apologizes before looking away awkwardly.

A few moments of silence pass before the stranger speaks up again. "I am Takahashi Kenshi, in case you are wondering."

Startled at the calmness of the stranger's voice, she clears her throat and introduces herself. "Major Sonya Blade, Special Forces."

"Military?" Kenshi wonders.

"Yes," she answers. "I-I didn't mean to stare. I was… I was just…" Shit. She didn't have a real excuse for her ogling, not without running the risk of sounding offensive.

"You were wondering how I can do these tasks while being blind."

"Well, yeah," she abashedly admits with a shrug. _Great, he probably thinks I'm an asshole now_ , she muses to herself.

"I hardly know you; I cannot judge you based on one simple mistake," he informs her. She gapes as he shakes his head. "I apologize. Your thoughts were very loud. I am a telepath; I can read minds."

She's unable to form coherent thoughts just as Johnny walks back into the room donning his sleep clothes. He notices Sonya's flabbergasted face first. "Wow, who managed to shock the major?" he teases. Then he notices Kenshi. "Sup, Ken dude."

Kenshi pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head, something Sonya catches on to. "So you've met Cage," she sympathizes with a light laugh. "Please forgive him; he calls everyone 'dude'."

"Not _every_ one. I call you honey, darling, gorgeous—"

"Why are you still talking?" she interrupts, a blush blooming over her face again for the umpteenth time that day.

"Are you two married?" Kenshi asks with a chuckle.

"Hell no," Sonya blurts.

Johnny pouts. "It'd be an honor to be married to The Cage," he playfully complains as he folds his arms childishly.

Sonya rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure," she mocks him. He sticks his middle finger up at her. "So mature." Redirecting her attention to Kenshi, she asks, "Has Raiden informed you of the situation?"

Kenshi nods. "He has asked me to pair with the two of you to help bring Shinnok and Quan Chi down along with the others. Perhaps as a way to make up for not allowing me to fully participate in the tournament, I suppose."

"Dude," Johnny starts with a frown, "you should be thankful to the Elder Gods or whatever higher being you believe in you _weren't_ in that tournament. Skele-man and scary old dude were practically psychos. Eugh," Johnny shudders.

Kenshi is quiet and confused, so it takes Sonya to break the awkward tension. "I think he's referring to Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. Those were some evil sons of bitches," she clarifies. She jumps in surprise when Kenshi lets out a small growl. "Oh," she breathes, "you're familiar with them?"

"Shang Tsung is the very reason I do not have my sight," Kenshi begins. The two of them stare at him in shock and Kenshi gestures for them to have a seat. Johnny sits on a bed and Sonya scoots closer to the two men. "I was once an arrogant young man; I thought I could take on the challenge of any and every one I'd encountered on my travels around the world. One day, I came across an elderly man being assaulted by three thieves. I challenged them and they understandably ran off, leaving the old man on his last legs of life. Or so I assumed."

"Uh oh…" Johnny gulps and Sonya shushes him harshly.

"He then began telling me the story of Sento, an ancient sword. He said it was believed to contain the souls of the ancestors of a mighty warrior who would come to wield it, should they decide to seek its powers. Shang Tsung told me there was a cave where I would be able to find Sento, and that I would be guided towards it," Kenshi continues.

"So… how'd you lose your eyesight?" Sonya asks.

Kenshi gives a low, humorless chuckle. "I believed Tsung. I simply made the mistake of trusting this older man. When I arrived in this cave deep inside the mountain top, I did not realize Sento was being guided by an ancient power. Tsung led me to believe finding it would be one of my greatest achievements if I was able to survive the trek to the mountains. His deceit nearly led me to my death. I was blinded by the sheer control of its protection wards, leaving me blind and near death. It turns out that Sento actually _did_ contain the souls of my ancestors, and as an apology for blinding and almost killing me, Sento and my ancestors guide me.

"I needed to get vengeance on this old devious man, so I began searching for Shang Tsung to make him pay for what he has done to me. However, it had been a long and winding search, an adventure which humbled me greatly. When I finally found where he would be, I was not allowed to exact my revenge by participating in the Mortal Kombat tournament, simply because Raiden had already chosen his champion to do the deed for me," he concludes.

Sonya and Johnny stare at Kenshi wide eyed. After a moment of awkward silence, Johnny blurts, "I should probably get my eyes checked then." Sonya shakes her head at him. "No, I'm serious. My doc says if I'm not careful, I could lose my sight. I mean, you're damn brave Kenshi. You make me realize how I shouldn't take things for granted."

"That is understandable. I'm glad I can be of service," Kenshi responds. Turning to Sonya, he wonders, "Will you be able to get the military to help out with our mission from Raiden?"

Sonya bites her lips, contemplating her answer. "I don't know if they'll even believe me. They didn't believe Jax when he told my old command center about what Shang had done to our rescue helicopter." She sighs again. "God, I can't believe this. I can't imagine Jackson Briggs as a fucking zombie, but that's what Raiden says."

The three adults are silent again for a long time. As they settle down for sleep, Johnny mutters, "This world is fucking crazy," into the silence, causing Sonya and Kenshi to chuckle lightly. "I mean, demons, gods, portals, revenants; if we were to speak about this with anyone else, this topic becomes our one way ticket to the asylum."

Sonya bursts into giggles. "I was actually voted 'most likely to psycho' in high school by those assholes," she tells them. Kenshi surprises them both by laughing the hardest. "What?"

"Somehow, I do not doubt this," he answers. Sonya sits up in bed again, narrowing her eyes at him through the darkness. "What, is it not true?"

With a stupid smirk on her face, she plops back down on the bed and mutters, "Shut up, Kenshi."

"Charming," Johnny teases.

* * *

A few days after coming back home from his impromptu trip, Johnny is working out at his favorite gym using the jump rope. He loses count when he sees his ex-wife stroll through the doors, paparazzi following her. He groans and tries not to draw attention to himself. Unfortunately, fate is not on his side. "Johnny!" Cindy calls out to him.

"Johnny Cage, over here!" a male paparazzo shouts as they run to him and begin taking pictures.

He folds his arms and shakes his head but decides to put on a brave face anyways. Changing his demeanor slightly, he grins. "That's me," he remarks boastfully.

"Are you going to get back with your ex?"

"Do you still love Cindy?"

"Where have you been lately?"

"Are you coming out with another movie?"

"Easy, _easy_ ; I can only answer one question today without my manager, so make it a good one," he soothes the crowd.

One paparazzo steps forward with a small smile on her face. "I've got one. There's a rumor you're going to be in the new movie _Every Dog Has Its Day_. Is this true?"

Johnny takes a deep breath. "I haven't heard anything of the sort. But I'll be sure to personally inform you myself if anything changes," he responds, winking at the woman. She blushes profusely and snaps a picture. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get back to my work out. Thank you and good night."

"It's still morning," Cindy decides to enlighten him from behind as the crowd disperses.

He turns to her harshly. "I'm fully aware, thank you," he snaps at her. She takes a step back. "Now, what did you want?"

"I need a favor," she speaks, stretching out her Bostonian accent. He rolls his eyes to the ceiling, folding his arms. "Hear me out, all right?"

"Sixty seconds. Go," he demands.

She sighs slowly. "Okay, so I haven't really been doing anything lately, but I was offered a role in a new television show. The only problem is… the producer ain't my biggest fan yet."

"Get to the point," he spits nastily.

She frowns. "I was… I was thinking maybe you could talk to her for me?"

"Her," he echoes. She nods. "I'm surprised you want me to speak to another woman on your behalf."

"This is for my career, Johnny," she pleads with him. He begins walking away from her and she follows him. He snorts. "I'm serious! I'm trying to change. You don't understand how hard I've been trying to clean up my image."

He whirls back around and stares her down, making her shrink a bit in fear. "You're actually telling me that _I_ don't understand what it's like? Are you fucking kidding me, Cindy?"

"Johnny boy—"

"Do _not_ call me that," he practically snarls at her.

Cindy casts her head down in shame. "I'm sorry. You're right. I don't even know why I thought this would work."

Johnny eye twitches. He knows her ploy. She gives him a sad, kicked puppy look and he immediately feels bad for even raising his voice at her. But damn her, it works like a fucking charm every single time. It's how she was able to be the petitioner for their divorce.

After a few moments of heavy breathing, he finally grits his teeth and retorts, "Fine. Give me her number."

She immediately brightens up, wiping her crocodile tears away. "Sure thing, sugar," she tells him with a smirk.

* * *

"So you see, this is why I believe I need my own unit," Sonya pleads her case to Blake in his office when she comes back from her leave. He nods, understanding her situation. "So, will you allow me to create my team? It's important not only to my country, but to all of Earthrealm… e-earth… yeah," she finishes awkwardly.

"I agree with you. And I will approve your team," he tells her with a smile. She lets out a relieved breath. "I have faith in you, Sonya."

"Thank you so much! I won't let you down," she responds, truly grateful. He dismisses her and she salutes him before walking out of his office.

When she gets outside his door, she releases a happy squeal and jumps up and down until she notices Sergeant Sandy Pierson watching her in amusement. "What are you looking at, Sandy?" she demands lightly, throwing her hands to her hips.

"What's got you so giddy, Major?" Sandy asks. Before Sonya is able to respond, she barrels on with, "Did you finally talk to your friend crush?"

Sonya's face falls. "No, Cassandra, I haven't," she answers with a frown.

"Aww, come _on_ Major, you know I don't like being called that unless I'm in trouble, and even then…" Sandy begins before she notices Sonya's reproachful stare. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, sheesh."

Rolling her eyes, Sonya throws an arm over the younger woman's shoulder and leads her into the base cafeteria. "No, darling Sandy, I will not be talking to my friend. I actually have much better news than that."

"Ooh! Do tell!"

Sonya sits down on the bench and watches as Sandy does the same, emulating Sonya by placing her folded hands under her chin. Sonya laughs. "Okay," she begins, "I took your advice and I talked to Blake. He said I can start my own unit!"

Sandy visibly brightens up. "Holy shit that _is_ really great news! Can I be on your team?"

"Of course you can!" Sonya tells her. Sandy squeals happily. "I know you're working towards the Warrant officer branch, and I want to help you achieve that."

"Aww," Sandy coos, "she really loves me."

Sonya rolls her eyes but chuckles. "I respect you a whole lot. And I want to help you, just as I've been helped when I was around your age." She sighs sadly as she thinks of Jax once again. "Yeah," she laments, looking away awkwardly.

Sandy notices the change of mood and places a hand on Sonya's wrist. "I'm still sorry about your best friend."

"It's okay," Sonya tells her, pursing her lips tightly. "I just… I just found out something disturbing about him." Sandy raises an eyebrow, silently asking her to continue. "All right, I guess I ought to tell you, especially if you're going to be on my team." Sonya takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, trying to find a way to start her story. "Okay, when Jax and the rest of the defenders died, a necromancer sorcerer named Quan Chi made a deal with a fallen Elder God… basically, he brought them back to life as their servants. So… they've died, but they're… they're basically zombies. Their bodies are just a shell of the person they used to be because… they're evil now."

"Oh, my goodness," Sandy mumbles, covering her mouth with her hand. "So they're undead pretty much. What the fuck happened to you on that mission?"

Sonya rolls her eyes. "It's quite the story… but that's why I want to start my unit. I want to be able to pick and choose my own teams as I see fit. If they're not able to handle what I tell them about their new responsibilities, they will not be suited for my missions. Does that make sense?" Sandy nods, at a loss for real words. "So… do you honestly think you could handle this, Sergeant?"

"I…" Sandy starts. She swallows before looking up at her superior officer and her new friend. She isn't about to let _the_ Sonya Blade down. So, she nods vigorously. "Yes… I can do this, I promise. I want to help any way I can. I can handle it."

Sonya smiles slowly at her charge. "I was hoping you'd say that," Sonya tells her gratefully.

* * *

 **A/N:** As we get closer and closer to the events of the beginning of story mode, you'll start to see how I'm really tying things together based on their experiences. I can't wait personally. I hope you're as excited as I am to really get down to the meat. In the meantime, please read and review as usual.


	7. Defense Mechanisms

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mortal Kombat or any of the characters. Only the plot and a few characters are mine.

 **Author's Note:** I figured this should go up soon as well. Enjoy! :)

* * *

 **Defense Mechanisms**

 _Three months later, Venice Beach_

After the gym fiasco in January, Johnny managed to talk to the producer of the television show his ex-wife was supposed to be on. Unfortunately, the condition surrounding Cindy starring in the show was Johnny had to be her co-star and her love interest. He groaned and griped, but ultimately his agent Chuck agreed it would be the best change for him career wise as well. So he'd been training and filming the love sap story of a woman who leaps forward in time to fix her life, using her past experience as a mean girl in high school as a reference.

It was the worse choice of his life.

Ratings dropped due to Cindy's volatile past and the show was cancelled after only five embarrassing episodes.

Therefore, as Johnny browses the newspaper looking for new roles, he stumbles across an article written for a military magazine. His heart does a happy dance at the focus of the paper, which he reads aloud to himself in the quiet of his condo:

" _ **Earthrealm Strategic Defense Unit a Success**_ _"_

 _There's a reason the army branch is called Special Forces. The newest unit to be introduced into S-F serves to prove they care not only about the well-being of America's folks, but every human life around the globe is worth living. Earthrealm Strategic Defense (ESD) is led by Special Forces Major Sonya A. Blade, a woman who has risen to prominence in a short span of time._

 _Major Blade, originally from Texas, joined the military at the tender age of 18, fresh out of high school. After becoming one of the youngest Staff Sergeants in not only Camp Mabry, but in the history of S-F, she switched her focus on becoming a well-rounded officer of the army, serving underneath two outstanding officers: Brigadier General Hans Sadoski, and the late Major Jackson V. Briggs. She is currently stationed in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Blake. Now steadily approaching her ninth year of service to her country, she was able to create her unit after imploring for and promising a safer environment for her fellow human beings after witnessing and experiencing the aftermath of Major Briggs' untimely death in Indochina. Thus ESD was born._

 _Earthrealm Strategic Defense despite its name focuses more on Special Forces' offensive tactical operations. Major Blade and her teams vow to put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of Earthrealm by defending and attacking against any and everyone who poses a threat to normal civilian society, which includes but is not limited to local and international terrorists as well as "corrupted higher deities with their demonic henchmen" (direct quote from Major Blade's latest address to action). Those wishing to join one of her teams are required and encouraged to have reached either their fifth year of service or the rank of Sergeant in any army branch unless given special permission by either Blade or her commanding officer Blake._

 _Fun facts: Major Blade will be celebrating her 27_ _th_ _birthday on the 18_ _th_ _of this month and her ninth year of service in June. In less than ten years, she has been one of the very few females to reach the rank of Lieutenant, and is currently the first woman in S-F to reach the rank of Major._

 _Major Blade, your dedication to this country is great and selfless, and we thank you each and every day._

 _—Sasha Elaine Dorsten_

Johnny smiles after reading the article a second time. "Wow," he marvels, reading the fun facts paragraph once more. "That's seriously impressive." Turning the page of his newspaper, he browses the jobs section before doing a double take. "Wait a minute!" He turns to the front and reads the date as April 18th. "Holy shit!" Tossing his paper aside, he makes a dash for his phone and struggles to dial her phone number as his hands shake nervously.

"Major Sonya Blade," Sonya greets him over the phone, not recognizing his house phone number.

"Sonya?" he wonders.

She's silent for a few moments. Then: "Yes, John Carlton?"

He smirks at the use of his birth name. "Charming as always… anyways, how are you?"

She chuckles silently as he hears papers shuffling on her end. "Swamped with work, but I'm okay otherwise. Are _you_ okay? You sound ill."

He takes a deep breath. "I'm great… just… I read the article about you in the paper."

"Oh," she begins, "yeah, these damn writers tend to make everything look dramatic, huh?"

"You're so much more modest than I am," he compliments her.

She laughs at him. "You can say that again," she brags, teasing him. "What's been up?"

He blushes as his heart gallops in his throat. "So, the reason I'm calling is because… HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Sonya removes the receiver from her ears after Johnny begins to cheer and holler boisterously. When he settles down, she cautiously replaces the phone back to her ear. "Are you done?"

"Mmm hmm," he hums cheerfully.

"All right, so you know my birthday, congrats," she tells him.

"It's only fair; you know when my birthday is, among other things which aren't usually disclosed in any… _unauthorized_ biographies of me. So it's my turn to impress you."

"Enlighten me," she laughs, leaning back on her swivel chair in her office.

"Well Sonya Annette Blade," he begins, "you were born at 5:47 am on April 18th, which is today. This makes you an early bird Aries. The reason your blood can save me whilst I can't save you is because you have type O negative blood, the universal red blood cell donor. You were spelling bee champion of Texas at the age of eleven; that's really impressive. You've received many accolades in your nine years of service and you're the youngest female to reach your rank in Special Forces."

More silence follows his finishing statement, mostly due to her stifling her giggles. "I'm impressed," she praises him. "And uh… thanks for the birthday wish."

"You're welcome of course. You should let me take you out or something if you're not too busy… uh, as friends of course," he informs her carefully.

She nods over the phone. "I'll think about it. It depends on if I can get my approval for my trip."

"Your trip, huh? Where you going this time around?" he inquires politely.

She sighs. "Raiden thinks there's a bit of Black Dragon movement out in Gauteng. Because S-F knows of my history with the Black Dragon, the financial approval is taking a bit longer than normal."

Johnny sucks in a deep breath. "I see. You ought to be careful out there, Sonya. I wouldn't want you falling into his trap," he insists worriedly.

Sonya smiles warmly. "I will, I promise. I won't let what happened in Israel happen out there," she assures him.

"Good. Because then who else would I be able to bug in S-F?"

She laughs again, almost falling out of her chair. "Well, there's Blake; he apparently a huge fan of yours. Hence why I never told him I'm friends with you."

He feigns being hurt. "Aww honey, I'm offended," he teases as she continues to giggle. "Okay," he ultimately decides, "I'll leave you to your work. Good luck on everything, Sonya. And happy birthday again."

She beams brightly. "Thanks John," she tells him gratefully before hanging up. She allows herself a moment of silence to check herself before diving back into her paperwork.

* * *

Later that night as she's chugging down a bottle of Corona in a seedy bar, Sonya realizes she forgot to invite Johnny out. "Aww fuck," she mumbles, shaking her head.

"What's wrong, Major?" Sandy asks her.

Sonya sighs. "My friend wanted to celebrate with me. Should I invite him?"

Sandy smirks deviously, causing Sonya's eyes to pop out of its sockets. "Well, if you must know—"

"Oh great," Sonya groans.

"I don't think you should just invite him," Sandy temporarily concludes. Sonya lifts an eyebrow inquisitively. "I think you should fuck him."

"Cassandra!" Sonya yelps.

Sandy shrugs. "I'm just saying. I know you know you want to." Sonya growls at her. "And we _both_ know you need to get laid."

Sonya sinks on her stool. "You're the worst, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm," is Sandy's mirthful rebuttal. "C'mon, don't act like you haven't thought about it."

Sonya shakes her head and purses her lips. "That's the problem; I _know_ I've thought about it. And I talk myself out of it. You want to know why?"

Sandy gives her a rueful look. "Enlighten your protégé," she tests Sonya.

Sonya sighs roughly. "Because I've seen the women he's normally into. They're all… buxom brunettes with curves in all the right places. Hell, I think he'd be more into _you_ than me if we're being honest."

Sandy scratches her short brown bob in confusion. "So? And I'm sure those girls were complete sluts, hence why he's not with them."

"You're acting as if he's suddenly going to switch his type to me or something."

"I mean, think about it Sonya, you're the only one of your kind in terms of whom he's attracted to, are you not? Didn't you say he was some actor guy?" Sonya narrows her eyes but nods. "Exactly. He has his choice in women out there with the models and the actresses… I'm sure he can even get a porn star if he wanted."

"That's really vulgar," Sonya responds, scrunching her face in disgust.

"My point _is_ ," Sandy stresses, "he can have any of those women at his beck and call. But guess what? He wants a military major."

"I doubt he'd want to be tied down," she tries to argue.

Sandy snorts indignantly. "And neither do you, so what's the issue?"

Sonya finishes off the rest of her beer as she signals for another. After a while, Sonya answers, "I don't want to lose him in any sense of the word. But because of my job, I mean… I have a tendency of losing people I really care about, Jax being the main example besides my…" Sonya sighs softly. "Besides my ex fiancé."

Sandy nods. "That's why you're being defensive," she realizes. Sonya quirks another eyebrow and chugs her beer some more. "Well, I hate to be that person, but we'll eventually lose each other. That's just how life works, you know?"

"Yeah, but I'd prefer to mourn them if I know they've lived a healthy, fulfilling life," Sonya reasons.

"Touché," Sandy concedes. "But you should still invite him even if it's for a little while. I think he'd really appreciate it. Plus, I need to judge him," she reasons, causing Sonya to heave a great, annoyed sigh.

* * *

Johnny lies in his bed, willing his phone to ring, something he'd been chanting in his head over and over again for the past three hours. Just when he'd given up hope and begins kicking his sneakers off, his cell phone rings. "Yeah?" he picks up, expecting it to be Sonya.

"Hi Johnny!" he hears Stasi's voice chirp instead.

He pinches the bridge of his nose irately. "Hey, Stasi," he greets her.

"Guess who I'm staring at?" she taunts him playfully.

He can't hear her due to the loud cheering at the bar she's in. "Huh?"

"What?" she echoes. "I said guess what?"

"Tell me," he responds.

"I'm staring right at your friend Sonya," Stasi replies.

Johnny swallows. "Oh, okay," he says, trying to sound unaffected by the news.

"She's staring at her phone right now looking sad. You should probably call her," she advises him.

"Nah, I'll leave her alone. It's probably a work thing," he defends Sonya.

She rolls her eyes. "Fine, I'm going over there. Later!"

Before he can protest, she hangs up the phone, leaving Johnny gob smacked. Ten minutes later, his cell rings again. "Stasi, I swear if you do anything crazy—"

"It's Sonya," she tells him.

He chokes on air. "H-hey Sonya," he stumbles. "What's up?" he asks as he tries to sound nonchalant.

"Not much. Your friend Stasi is here. She asked me to ask you to come here because she said she tried and you said no?"

 _What a little—_ "Oh, well, I guess I can come out for a bit. Did you get your work done?"

"Mmm hmm," she starts. "I'm leaving next week but between Wednesday and me leaving, I have a shit ton of work to do before then. So you should come out now."

"All right," he agrees, "it won't take me too long."

"Great. I'll text you the directions," she tells him.

Another half an hour later, Stasi manages to talk Sonya and Sandy into a private booth at a separate lounge. "Cage!" Stasi and Sonya cheers as Sandy gapes.

"Oh, my God, you're Johnny Cage," Sandy fawns over him. Turning to Sonya, she shoves her arm and exclaims, "You never mentioned that you knew _the_ Johnny Cage!"

Sonya scowls at her charge. "Your reaction is _exactly_ why I haven't said anything," she responds dryly.

"Aww c'mon hon," Johnny starts, wrapping an arm around Sonya's shoulders, "you can talk about me any time you want."

Sonya heaves yet another sigh. "Okay, if you say so Cage." Turning to Sandy, she introduces her to the actor. "John, this is Cassandra, though she prefers to be called Sandy. Sandy, this is John Carlton, though he prefers to be called Johnny Cage." Johnny shakes Sandy's hand and she stares at him in awe, refusing to let go of his hand after a while. Sonya ends up prying her hands apart and shooting Johnny a glare. "So, now that we've all met…"

"Shots on me?" Johnny asks.

Sandy sighs lovelorn as Sonya narrows her eyes. "I'm not doing a body shot off of you, Cage."

Johnny blinks in confusion before he and Stasi begin laughing. "He meant he's paying for a round of shots," Stasi assures Sonya. Sonya blinks at them as Sandy gloats. "If he wanted body shots, he would've said 'shots off me', right Johnny?"

"Aww, you know me so well," he compliments and Stasi squeals delightfully.

Sonya forces a smile. "I knew that," she jokes.

"Course you did," Johnny teases her while pinching her cheeks.

* * *

 _Way to go Sonya, ya dumb ass,_ she berates herself in the morning in her private dorm, _you should've just taken Sandy's advice. Now Stasi's probably doing what you should've done._ She tries to swallow the bile down her throat. Damned if she gets emotional over some freaking actor.

Her night was crazy, and it wasn't because of what the four of them did after multiple shots were poured. Although Sonya _does_ regret dancing on the pole in the lounge using her skills from gymnastics, that isn't what made her night crazy.

Even if she was imagining things, she swore Johnny was flirting with every brunette he laid his pretty ocean blue eyes at. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. Sandy was wrong; Johnny Cage _wasn't_ interested in a relationship and he definitely _wasn't_ into blondes. She kept reasoning with herself that Johnny was a grown and single man about to enter his thirties, so he was allowed to do what he wants when he wants. If that meant banging a girl practically fresh out of high school (though Stasi was actually only three years younger than Sonya), then so be it.

In her bed, she huffs childishly and thinks of Vegas bitterly. "God, I'm such a whore," she mutters to herself in the stillness of her room.

"Major Blade?" she hears Blake's voice outside.

She sniffles and clears her throat. "Yeah?" she responds, trying to sound neutral.

"We're ready for the debriefing," he reminds her.

"Okay, I'll be there soon," she calls out to him. She barely hears his answer and she goes back into her thoughts… until she realizes she hasn't prepared her debrief on their mission. "Oh, fuck me," she groans. She throws on her cargo pants and a white crew neck shirt while going over her thoughts in her head repeatedly.

Fifty minutes later, Sonya comes out of the conference room where she held her debriefing, slapping an annoyed hand onto her forehead and hanging her head in shame. She's absolutely sure Blake isn't going to let her— "Hey, Major?" Blake interrupts her destructive thoughts.

She snaps to attention, gulping. "Yes Colonel Blake?" She blinks at him repeatedly, wondering what kind of scrutiny she was bound to receive from her commanding officer.

"Your latest call to action was spectacular as per usual. And I am particularly proud of you for not using your personal biased against the Black Dragon for ill intentions," he praises her. She releases a relieved puff of breath and gives him a tiny smile. "I will not be in Gauteng with you and your teams, as I have many other projects to oversee. But I want to wish you the best of luck on your mission. I have faith in you."

Sonya gapes at Blake. "Y-you're letting me go alone with my team?" He nods. "Wow… um… thanks, I guess." Thinking of another memory involving a certain actor, she frowns deeply.

He notices the change in mood on Sonya and calls her out on it. "What's the matter? You look like someone ate your best friend for brunch," he jests lightly with her in an attempt to get her to smile.

It works. Sonya bursts into giggles, covering her mouth with her hand and staring at her C.O in amazement. "Wow, there's a new one," she chuckles.

"Wait, wait, I think you might like this one since you're southern," he tells her, cracking a smile. Sonya raises both eyebrows and waits. "Who shit in your cornflakes this day?"

She outright laughs out loud again, holding her side and trying to control her glee at Blake's old time reference. "Oh, man. My dad used to say that to us when we were younger. My brother and I," she shares with Blake. She swallows, trying not to think of her late brother. "Well, now that I've got the financial approval on my mission, I should start preparing my convoys."

Blake nods. "That would be a good idea," he agrees. She's about to turn to walk away when he adds, "Before you go on your mission or something, we should grab a beer together." Sonya's eyes gradually get wider when she realizes what he's asking. "Uh, as friends of course," he abruptly adds.

"Right," she says, nodding in agreement. "Well, I'll only really be free tonight before I have to prepare, so yeah, we can do that."

"Tonight sounds great," Blake tells her. Nodding at her, he walks to his office, leaving Sonya standing in the middle of the hallway contemplating her next move.

* * *

Meanwhile, Johnny's out on his run thinking about Sonya. He knows she definitely thinks he's nothing but a flirt bag after what happened in the lounge on her birthday. He only really began flirting with other girls because he'd seen the way she looked at another guy who bought her a drink. His flirting became worse when she was invited to dance with said guy, laughing and enjoying herself in general. _She never smiled that way with me before_ , he thinks bitterly. His previous thoughts still rings true in his head; Sonya is a diplomatic woman. _Well_ , he thinks bitterly, _she can shove her diplomacy up_ —

Johnny collides with a woman carrying a heavy manuscript and she falls to the floor on her side as Johnny lands painfully on his wrists. "Ouch, fuck," she whines. A gust of wind blows some of the woman's papers away and Johnny rushes to save them. When he gathers them in his hands, he helps her up from the floor and hands her the manuscript. "Thanks," she mumbles, rubbing her side.

"No problem. And I'm sorry for bumping into you," Johnny tells the woman before they look up. Their eyes go wide in recognition. "Oh! You're… you're Sara Dunham!"

"And you're Johnny Cage," she counters with, giving him a sideways smile. "Well, at least I can tell the producer I've bumped into you. Pun intended."

He chuckles. "This is true," he laughingly agrees. He holds out his hand for her to shake. "Hi Sara minus the 'h' in your name."

She giggles and takes his hand. "Drop the 'h' for 'hotness'," she quips in return, causing Johnny to laugh even more. "Hi Johnny."

"Hey," he greets her again with a smirk, still shaking her hand. He realizes this and reluctantly releases her hand from his grip. "So, I heard you're the co-director and writer of _Every Dog Has Its Day_ , is this true?"

She nods bashfully. "True, true," she chirps. "Although… I haven't had any luck getting production started. The director and I are having some… _creative_ differences."

"I've been in the Hollywood business long enough to know you guys aren't getting along."

Sara frowns. "Okay fine, he's being a douche bag about everything!" she grouses. She throws her hands to her hips and lowers her voice, mocking the director. "I don't want some B-list movie actor who isn't going to play up the humor or action. I'm a lonely semi balding man who can't get a date to save his life. I don't care if you wrote the script; you're here out of courtesy. Blah, blah, blah." Johnny laughs at her impression. "It's sickening," she continues in her normal voice, "and I'm about to buy back my rights to my novel and find another person to direct it."

"Understandable," Johnny starts as he nods. "I have that kind of relationship with my agent right now honestly."

They begin walking together, Johnny forgetting about his run. "I'm sick of being tied down by the big man. This is sheer oppression!"

Johnny snickers. "Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I get what you're saying," Johnny tells her.

They finally reach her office half an hour later and she stands by the door, crossing her ankles together in wait. "Thanks for helping with my stuff even after knocking me down," she teases, twirling her long brown ponytail in her fingers.

"Thanks for the laughs, Sara," he responds. She giggles and stares at him with her hazel eyes. "I should probably make it up to you somehow. How does dinner sound?"

"Mmm," she thinks, "see I'm only free tonight this week so… tonight's good. Here, take my number down." She takes out a pen from her dress and clicks it. She grabs his hand and writes her number down on his wrist. "There. You'll have to scrub a lot to get it off, so make sure you save it."

"Got it," he answers, observing her handwriting. He pulls out his phone and saves her number. "Saved as Sara."

"Minus the h," she reminds him.

"Because the missing h is for hot," he remembers. She giggles again and turns the key in the lock. "See ya."

"Bye Johnny the Caged madman," she teases before disappearing into her office. Johnny smirks.

And for the first time in over a year, he doesn't spare Sonya Blade a second thought.

* * *

 **A/N:** *dodges rotten tomatoes* Oh man, I know you guys are probably like "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US?!" Fear not my friends; I will make things better… as soon as I'm done torturing them. Review as always!


	8. Thinking of You

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Mortal Kombat… sorry guys. If I did, this story wouldn't be a head canon :)

 **Author's Note:** After much internal deliberation, I decided to go ahead with the events of this chapter. *dodges rotten tomatoes* I'm looking at you **Kynthia** … Enjoy regardless!

* * *

 **Thinking of You**

A month after her birthday, Sonya finds herself smothering her face inside of a criminally soft pillow once again, seeking solace from yet another nightmare. A gentle breeze blows against the skin of her shoulder blades. She sighs and inhales the scent of freshly laundered linen with a touch of Oakwood. When she feels a shift in the bed she's in, her eyes fly open suspiciously. It's only when she tastes tequila, lime, and seltzer in the back of her throat does she finally turn and sit up, the thin white sheets falling from her body. "Oh… my… God."

"What's wrong?" the mysterious stranger asks her and goosebumps crawl over her body in embarrassment.

Her head snaps in the direction of her commanding officer as he angles his head to stare at her. "Oh man," she mumbles, burying her head in her hands. She didn't know what was worse, the fact that she'd slept with her C.O willingly, or that she remembered everything about the act. Or perhaps it was because she felt guilty about doing it more than once. Oh, and she's sure she'd broken about a dozen regulations as a result.

"You're not in trouble," Blake tells her, as though reading every illicit thought in her brain. She groans and tosses her head back onto the pillow. _His_ pillow. "And here I thought last time was supposed to be the last."

She swallows uneasily. "Yeah," she mocks, "so much for that."

Her thoughts weren't fair to either one of them. She needed to stop landing in this position with her boss when she still liked Johnny Cage and thought of him often, even going as far as to choose _him_ over Blake in her nightmares. Tracing a finger over her skin, he turns to her and asks, "What's on your mind?"

 _Where do I start?_ She muses bitterly. She decides to go with a safe answer: "I keep feeling this sense of dread like some shit is about to go down."

"In terms of?"

She sighs. "In terms of… _them_. All of my friends. You know the ones who turned into revenants?"

He pulls her slightly closer to him, breathing into her neck. "I have faith in you finding out how to revert them back into the living," he tells her.

She closes her eyes and forces yet another wave of tears back. "I know," she mutters. She clears her throat and readjusts herself so they're spooning. "I still wish this was a huge nightmare so I can wake up already."

He interlocks their fingers together and squeezes gently, a disturbingly intimate action. "You're free to take a vacation when you need one." Before she's able to argue, he adds, "And trust you me, you _do_ need one."

"I don't want anyone in my unit to get the wrong idea. How would it look if you constantly approved time off for me, especially when I made this unit my responsibility?"

He sighs, already dreading the potential bickering he's subject to with the fiercely stubborn blonde. "Your health should be top priority. You aren't functional if you're not at your peak."

Sonya rolls her eyes, not wanting to argue with her superior. "You're right," she ultimately admits. She feels Blake's smirk on her shoulder and lets out a humorless chuckle. "But we both can't be AWOL. One of us has to get up."

"As this may be true," Blake starts as his phone rings, "we won't be." He picks up his phone, answering with a curt, "Colonel Blake." He listens for a while before speaking again. "Copy. I will let her know at my earliest convenience."

When he hangs up, she asks, "Who was that?"

He tosses his phone unceremoniously by his legs and presses his lips to her ear. "The general is sending you on another mission so you have to prepare a convoy for Tuesday."

Her eyes widen. "As in… two days from now?" He hums, nipping at her neck. "It never ends," she grouses.

He crawls on top of her, pinning her down lightly with his body weight. "You need to relax for a bit."

She gives him a small smirk. "Is that an order, sir?" she teases, wrapping her hands around his shoulders.

"It most certainly is," he answers, leaning down for a kiss, which she returns as she does her best to put the actor out of her mind.

* * *

Stretching out his fatigued muscles, Johnny walks into the kitchen, following the smell of oatmeal and eggs. When he reaches the kitchen, he finds his girlfriend Sara using a spatula to spoon out her sunny side eggs to a plate. "Morning," he greets her politely.

She skips over to him and wraps her arms around his waist from behind. "Morning!" she chirps. He twirls her in his arms before catching her in a dip as she giggles happily. "You should do that more often," she coaches him.

"And I will," he responds before setting her upright again. He leans down and kisses her softly and she leans into him, deepening their kiss. When he pulls away, he notes the small breakfast. "Looks great, hon," he compliments her with a strained smile.

She takes his hand and leads him to her dining room table. "So," she starts as she slides her hands down his shoulder and through his shirt, "Chris wanted to meet up with you to discuss your possible female co-star."

"Can we please just remember that I refuse to work with my ex? That show was a fucking nightmare," he complains in regards to the failed drama he and Cindy starred in.

Sara places her chin on top of his head. "I know she's kind of a freak show to be honest. I can't believe you put up with her for so long."

At least Cindy had the decency to stay away after she'd heard through the grapevine of Johnny's new relationship. "Yeah," he reluctantly agrees. He takes a bite out of his egg, chewing slowly. Frowning, he reaches for the salt across from him. "So, who'd you have in mind?" he wonders as he shakes salt on his eggs and cuts into it once more.

"Stacy Chamberlain," she answers. Johnny turns his head to give her a confused look. "Your friend that's the model?"

Johnny raises an eyebrow. "You mean _Stasi_? Stasi Chambers," he corrects her.

Sara nods. "That's who I meant. I apologize. But yeah, how would you feel working with her?"

He shrugs. "Stasi is awesome," he tells her carefully.

"Cool! Because I was planning on having her dye her hair. The female alongside you is supposed to be this tough as nails military blonde woman, Marine status. Isn't that cool?"

And Johnny effectively chokes on his orange juice. After slapping his chest repeatedly, he holds up a hand to signal he's all right when she stares at him concerned. "Yeah, that's… that's great hon," he lies, trying his best to hide his conflicted feelings. "It'll be fun," he adds as an afterthought.

"Yes! I'm _so_ glad you said that. We'll be meeting with Chris this afternoon. Then we can hit the beach later?"

"Mmm hmm," is his noncommittal reply. Not noticing his change in attitude, she plants a loud smooch on his cheek and leaves him to his breakfast. After he's sure she's in her room again, Johnny gets up and walks over to her garbage can. His feet press on the lever and the lid opens. As he's scraping the oatmeal and eggs into the garbage, Sara's black pug stares at him in shame. "Shh, stop judging me Pugsley." Soon after, her black short haired cat joins in on the judgment. "You too Wednesday?" The cat meows sharply and he places his now empty bowl on the counter with much more force than intended. "Un-fucking-real," he grumbles as he walks to the couch and buries his head in his hand.

He'd done a fantastic job of pushing Sonya out of his mind until Sara mentioned the military. He swears Sara planned this ahead of time to test his faith in her. "Why does she need to be in the military?" Johnny grumbles to himself. "And why is she a blonde? Couldn't she be…? I dunno a red head or something?"

"Johnny!" she calls him. "I'm going in the shower. Wanna come with?"

He rubs his eyes tiredly. "Nah, you have your shower," he answers back. He can tell she's frowning at him but she lets it go and turns on her water. Despite their scrutiny earlier, the two pets jump on the couch and sit next to him. Wednesday gives him another meow. "I know, I know," he laments as he strokes the cat's fur absentmindedly.

* * *

In early July, Sonya's dragged to a bar celebrating Independence Day quite raucously by Sandy. Forced to wear American colors, she rolls her eyes and tries to pull down the teeny bright red crop top she loaned from her younger protégé. "You still look cute," Sandy remarks when Sonya finally zips a white hoodie over her shoulders with an eye roll.

"I cannot stand you," is Sonya's disparaging reply. Sandy orders them both a screwdriver. "And I hate orange juice."

It's Sandy's turn to cast an eye roll at her commanding officer. "C'mon Blade, you need a break. You've been going into overtime for the past… shit, I dunno, but I know it's been a while, so loosen up woman." Sonya's eyes narrow threateningly. "Sorry! Please have a drink on me."

Turning to the bartender, Sonya states, "I'll take a vodka cranberry instead of this crap." The bartender glowers at the blonde. "I'm not saying you're crap for the drink. I just can't stand orange juice."

"I'll be back," Sandy tells her as she's led onto the floor by a random guy.

Sonya shakes her head and thanks the bartender wordlessly when he slides the drink over to her. As she's sipping on her vodka cranberry, she hears his voice. "Can I get a double screw?"

She whips her head in the direction of the man in her thoughts as of late. "H-hi John," she tries to compose herself.

He smirks at her. "Sup, Major," he greets happily. He's holding a glass what looks like the same drink as her as he stares at her untouched orange drink. "You gonna drink that?" She shakes her head and slides the glass over to him, which he takes graciously as he gives her his glass. He observes her carefully; she's wearing a pair of cobalt blue jeans and her white hoodie with her red top peeking out subtly. He also notices her hair which is now barely grazing her shoulders. "You look good, Sonya." _Damn good_ , he adds in his head.

She smiles at him softly. "Thanks," she responds. _So do you_ , she wants to say. Before she can do so, Blake sits at the bar on her other side. Clearing her throat, she instead opts to introduce the two men to each other. "John, this is my C.O Leonard Blake. Blake, this is my friend John Carlton."

"Ya mean Johnny Cage?" Blake gasps. Sonya stares at him. "Well, it's nice to meet you," he replies, sticking out his hand for Johnny to shake, which he does while surveying him. Johnny notes the way Blake places a hand on the small of her back, sliding down to her waist and he hitches an eyebrow at the act. "What brings you out here?"

Johnny swallows uneasily. "My birthday," he blurts confidently, not wanting to give either of them the satisfaction of his discomfort.

Sonya slaps a hand on her forehead. "Right! It _was_ your birthday. I'm so sorry I missed it. Happy belated, Cage."

He waves a dismissive hand at her. "Don't worry about it hon, I didn't do much. My girlfriend and I had a stay-cation," he slips.

Sonya's eyes widen at his statement. _Of course he'd have a girlfriend. Lucky bitch._ "Oh great, you made her suffer at home with you," she taunts instead and Blake chuckles.

Johnny smirks. "That's not nice, Major," he tells her with a laugh just as Sara places her petite fingers over his eyes. "I know it's you, honey."

"Ugh, you suck," Sara jokes as she plants herself between Johnny and Sonya. Sonya inadvertently shifts closer to Blake due to almost being knocked off the stool. "Sorry! I'm Sara," she introduces herself to the two of them.

"Lieutenant Colonel Blake and this is Major Blade," Blake replies. Sonya raises an eyebrow at the woman.

"Like, military? Oh my goodness, that's _so_ cool! How long have you both served?"

Sonya and Blake share an uncomfortable look. Johnny steps in to help out with, "Technically, you don't ask how long they've served. You ask how long they've been in."

Sara widens her eyes in realization as Sonya smirks inwardly. "I'm so sorry," she apologizes again. "How long were you both in?"

"You're fine, Sara," Blake starts. "I've been in for 15 years; Sonya's been in for… is it 9 years now?"

"Mmm hmm," Sonya nods, taking a sip of her drink again, "just marked my 9th year last month." All of a sudden, Sonya hears the opening chords of one of her favorite songs playing. She accidentally slaps her drink down on the counter as Blake and Sara look at her. "Oh, my God, this is my favorite song!" she exclaims, clapping to the beat. Blake grins at her while Sara scrunches her eyebrows at the blonde humorously.

Johnny laughs at her enthusiasm until she stands up, grabs his hand abruptly, and drags him out to the floor unceremoniously. "Wow, you must really like this song."

"All she wants to do is dance!" she sings as he twirls her around.

"Did he just say something about Molotov cocktails?" Johnny wonders.

"I learned how to make those when I was a sergeant," she responds as they continue dancing together.

Johnny smiles. "Of course you would," he remarks as their fingers entwine together. He pulls her slightly closer to him. "Aww, I missed you Sonya."

She smirks at him. "Course you did," she jokes. She glances at the bar and sees Sara talking to the bartender. "When did you meet Sara?"

He shrugs. "Like, two months ago? She's the writer of a new movie I'm supposed to be working on."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We haven't started filming yet though. Stasi is supposed to be in the movie as well… guess what?"

"Enlighten me," she whispers.

He twirls her again and brings her close to him again. "As a tough, no-nonsense military major."

"That's a hell of a coincidence," Sonya tells Johnny. He nods. "Too bad I don't act," she teases.

"Yeah, that's way too bad," he agrees. "Even though she's a major in the Marines."

"My father was a major in the Marines."

"Oh, right," he remembers. "It's part of the reason you enlisted, right? You wanted to find out what happened to him." She nods. "And you stay because you're good at it."

"And the safety of everyone in the country is my responsibility."

"Mmm hmm," he tells her. He twirls her once more and asks, "So, are you and him an item?" When she furrows her eyebrows, he gestures to Blake sitting at the bar. "You and your commanding officer are dating? Isn't that against some rules or something?"

Her eyes go wide at his question. "I-I wouldn't go _that_ far. It's… it's complicated."

"What, are the strings getting tangled or something?"

"Not on my end, but something like that," she mumbles again, chancing another look back at the bar. "Your girlfriend left?"

"She probably went to the ladies room," he replies. "I really liked that guitar riff there."

"Me too! Jax and I used to air guitar to it," she laughs until she realizes what she's said. She clears her throat and sings, "All she wants to do is dance, and make romance."

"No amount of heat coming off the street," he sings along with her.

"She wants to party, she wants to get down. All she wants to do is, all she wants to do is dance, and make romance!" they both sing together, laughing happily until Sara tugs his arm.

"Johnny, I need to get home," Sara tells him.

He gives Sonya an apologetic look. "Okay, I'll take you home," he tells Sara. "It was nice seeing you again, Sonya."

"Yeah, you too, Cage," is all she's able to say before Sara tugs his arm again and he allows himself to be dragged outside. She slowly walks back to the bar and sits next to Blake again. He gives her a questioning stare. "I need a drink," she mutters. The bartender leans in so he can hear her order. "Let me get a double shot of whiskey straight."

"Ouch, it's one of those nights?" Blake asks, resting his hand on her knee and rubbing it softly. She nods sadly as she takes her drink and downs it in one gulp.


	9. Dangers of Kombat

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it... sorry

 **Author's Note:** *dodges rotten tomatoes* I did not abandon these stories! I've just been going through a really rough time and March was not my month. Also, I'm fully aware of today's date. No tricks today (not in the mood for them). Instead, here's a treat. There's also an update in _Repair, Rebuild, Renew_ to hop on over to read that. Enjoy.

* * *

 **Dangers of Kombat**

With tears streaming down her face and blending in with the cool shower she's subjected herself to, Sonya sits on the hard tiled floor of the military bathroom as her hair becomes one with her face. She'd just come back from a mission out in Indonesia tracking the movements of a new mercenary faction who were supposedly rivals with the Black Dragon. On her mission, instead of finding any information on them, she'd run into Kung Lao… or the evil soul now occupying his body.

Raiden was right; the fallen champions of Earthrealm were but a hollow shell of their former selves. The minute Lao laid his eyes on Sonya, he recognized her before trying to kill her. Luckily, Sonya was smart enough to know she should abort her mission; Blake had sent her with his group of soldiers so they knew nothing.

She buries her head in her knees and lets out another distressed wail, the water showering over her like the same bad omen she'd faced earlier.

Hours later, she finally lies down in bed on her back, staring into the negative space around her. Part of her wants to call Johnny and tell him what happened and the other part of her wants to give Blake a piece of her jumbled mind. Deciding on the partial latter, Sonya gets up again and rushes out of her room to Blake's room and office. Before she's able to chicken out, she knocks on his door swiftly but as quietly as possible as to not disturb the sleeping soldiers in their rooms around her.

He opens the door and her rant dries up in her throat at the sight of his disheveled hair. "You look like shit," she blurts instead before her eyes go wide in realization. Despite their… _history_ , he was still her commanding officer. "Sorry. I need to talk to you." Wordlessly, he opens the door a little more to allow her in.

When she sits down in the chair across from him, he sits at his swivel chair and folds his hands. "What's on your mind?"

Sonya rubs at her eyes tiredly. "That mission went horribly," she confesses. He raises his eyebrows at her, alarmed. "I uh…I saw one of my old friends and I… I fucking froze."

"I'm assuming you weren't expecting that, were you?"

She shakes her head. "Of course I wasn't. I just… I don't know how to explain it." She gives up on her rant because she knew one person who'd understand exactly what she was feeling. "Sorry to bother you about this."

"Sonya," he calls her softly and she looks up at him. He stands up and rubs her shoulders from behind. "Do you need time off? It's not too late."

Blinking back tears, she nods. "I need time to reevaluate my unit and how to handle these things in the future."

"Understood," he assures her, pressing a kiss to her neck. She pulls away subtly, but he notices. "Right."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just need time to think," she tells him. He nods and she stands up, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks Lenny."

* * *

Meanwhile, Johnny sits up in his bed after coming home from filming his latest movie _Dragon Fists_. He was meant to call Sara when he got home but he forgot and he wasn't in the mood to deal with her chipper attitude. He rakes a hand through his now blond hair and sighs heavily.

He had a dream about them, his old friends from the tournament. He had no idea what any of them looked like from afar, but his dreams were gory enough to warrant a nightly prescription of Restoril just to help him forget the images in his head.

They were truly ineffective though because he kept seeing _her_ dying at the hands of her former commanding officer and best friend. And he was powerless to stop him each time. For that reason alone, he almost wanted no part in helping the Thunder God track them down, for fear of his nightmares turning into reality.

He tries to think of what Sonya is most likely going through and in a roundabout way, it calms him down. He allows himself a small smile as he thinks of her giving him a hard time about his action adventures. The feeling of unbridled affection hits him like an unexpected tsunami before his face falls again. _You have a girlfriend who absolutely adores you, you idiot_ , his brain chastises him.

His phone ringing startles him before he frowns, thinking it's his aforementioned girlfriend. "Yeah?" he unintentionally snaps when he answers the phone. There's a beat of silence and his frown turns into a scowl. "Hello?"

"Cage?" the voice asks softly.

He sucks in a breath of nervously charged air. "Yeah?" he responds, much softer than normal.

"Can you meet me? I really need to talk to you," she asks him.

"Of course," he agrees. Almost immediately after hanging up the phone, it rings again. "You forgot something, Major?" he teases.

"No, but you forgot to let me know when you got home mister!" Sara playfully scolds him.

He bites back an irritated groan. "Hey. Yeah, I totally forgot. Sorry."

"You're totally forgiven, hot stuff."

He cringes at her new nickname for him. "Thanks," he tells her. There are a few moments of extremely awkward silence between the two of them. "Hey Sara? I'm actually really tired so I'm going to sleep soon."

She sighs. "Okay, I know you had a really long flight. We'll talk tomorrow. Good night. Love you."

He swallows uncomfortably. "Yeah, night Sara," he responds weakly before hanging up.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Johnny laughs at Sonya from across the table, silently judging her by the amount of sugar she pours into cup of coffee. "Shut up, you," she chuckles back as she stirs her spoon before blowing some steam away. After taking a well deserved sip, she leans back in her chair and sighs contently. "So, how was your movie?"

He tries to stay upbeat in his answer. "It was amazing!" he chirps. Sonya stares at him from under her lashes but doesn't say anything. "The stunts were easy of course. Nothing I can't handle. I'm Johnny Cage, remember?"

She rolls her eyes at him. "And you're a terrible liar, so let's try that again."

He sighs. "The movie itself was fine."

"But?"

"My life is still a fucking mess," he finally confesses. She nods, gesturing for him to continue. "I trained every single day for this stupid movie and the director didn't appreciate the shit I've done. He hates me because apparently I hurt his new girlfriend's feelings."

She frowns through another sip of coffee. "Let me guess, his current girlfriend is your ex?"

"Bingo," he mutters. He idly stirs the straw in his cappuccino. "Speaking of girlfriends—"

She raises an eyebrow curiously. "Trouble in paradise?"

He scowls at her before looking down. "It isn't paradise. It's a pretty little backdrop I can no longer stand."

"Then just end it," she commands him. He looks up at her again. "Sorry, I'll be more gentle."

"No need, you're right. I should just end it," he muses sadly. He picks up a miniscule piece of scrambled eggs with his fork and twirls it in his fingers. "I don't want to hurt her."

Sonya places the cup down on the table once more while Johnny puts the fork in his mouth before chewing slowly. "Continuing it isn't helping you either, now is it?" Johnny shakes his head. "All right then. She seems like the understanding type; just be honest with her."

He buries his head in his hands, grabbing his hair in frustration. "I don't think I can do that either." She folds her arms across her chest and gives him a wry look. "I know, I'm an ass."

"You don't have to be if you just told her how you felt," she assures him.

He looks up at her and stares into her greenish gray eyes. He tilts his head to the side. "What's on your mind, Sonya?" he questions, forgetting about his dilemma.

She shakes her head. "This isn't about me," she attempts to convince him.

"Hey, for once I don't wanna talk about myself. Please tell me what's wrong?"

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I saw Kung Lao on my last mission. And for the first time in a very long time, I wasn't adequately prepared."

He sucks in a deep breath. "Jesus, you saw him as a revenant, didn't you?"

"He fucking tried to kill me. How did we go from being friends helping Raiden to… that?"

He purses his lips. Then, he carefully wraps her fingers in his hand and asks, "Makes you afraid to see what _he's_ like, huh?"

She nods, tears falling from her eyes. "I can't imagine what happened to Jax. I just… we have to save them, John," she whispers, rubbing her nose. "I need to rethink my strategies. And we need to get to Raiden again."

"And we need to make the Magnificent Witch of the Netherrealm go back where he belongs," Johnny tells her. She laughs despite her tears. "I know you think I can't be serious about this, but I swear if you let me help you…"

"It'll be a dangerous mission."

"Okay, huge risk of dying verses the pros of the mission, right?" he reasons.

She shakes her head again. "It's suicide," she warns him.

He shrugs. "Wouldn't be the first time I risked my life, now would it?"

They stare at each other for a long while. Then, "Okay, you're in. You'll have to help me train new people. I don't care about ranks anymore and fuck protocol."

"And Kenshi?"

"In as well. Plus I might have a side mission for him too."

He nods once. "Then it's settled," he tells her. "I'll arrange my affairs so everything can be in order."

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"I would have also appreciated handsome, dashing, smart, brave, or something else as well, thank you very much Sonya," he jokes, ticking off each adjective with his fingers. She laughs at him again and he smiles tenderly. "I remember when you used to roll your eyes at my stupid jokes. What changed between us?"

 _The fact that I'm maybe, quite possibly in love with you?_ She answers in her head. She gives him a side smirk instead. "You've changed. And we're friends."

"Right," he remembers. _Yeah, we're_ _ **just**_ _friends and I have a girlfriend_ , he thinks to himself. "I just have one more movie to film and then I'll be good."

She frowns. "Another one? When?"

He shrugs. "They said if I start now, I'll be done by New Years Eve."

She nods once, understanding his situation. "Well, you'd better train your ass off till then, huh? I'm not sure I can go on this mission without you or Kenshi."

He gathers one of her hands in both of his. "You're sweet when you want to be, you know that, right?"

She places her other hand over both of his strong ones and smiles at him, making his heart flutter ecstatically. "Don't get used to it, Cage."

He groans painfully. "Would it kill you to call me Johnny?"

"It just might," she quips, winking at him.

* * *

"Johnny!" Johnny hears Cindy call him while he's training at the gym once more. He grits his teeth and turns around slowly, making his green force ball go away. "What are you training for this time?"

"None of your damn business, Cindy," he snaps.

"You're going away again with Anya aren't you?" she accuses him, folding her arms indignantly.

He narrows his eyes at her. "Who the fuck is Anya?"

She laughs incredulously at him. She mutters, "You're a jackass, you know that? I'm talking about that military bitch you're supposedly in love with while you're dating the absolutely stunning Sara Dunham. What the hell is wrong with you?"

He pinches the bridge of his nose, completely fed up with his contact run-in with his ex-wife. "First of all, stay out of my business. Second of all, I'm fully aware of my girlfriend thank you very much. And third of all, her name is _Sonya_ , not Anya."

She bursts into rude laughter. "I knew it." It takes Johnny a few moments to realize the depth of his words. To the average person, he was only correcting her. But Cindy was his wife for two and a half years; she knew him and she knew he inadvertently just admitted his feelings for Sonya. He hangs his head low. "I oughta tell Sara exactly how you feel, but for once I'll let you be a man about it. Instead of hearing it through the messenger, she should hear it from the horse's mouth."

Johnny glowers at Cindy. "I don't know—"

"Stop lying, John Carlton! Just stop lying for once in your goddamn life!" she screams at him, catching the attention of a few stragglers. She turns to them and yells, "Don't you have anything else better to do?!" The crowd disperses after glaring at her. She rounds back on Johnny. "You can't even tell yourself the truth, can you? Not like I'd expect you to anyway."

He swallows. "Don't be this way," he all but begs her softly. She huffs at him.

With a nasty smirk, she parts with, "Make sure _Anya_ gives a damn about you before you throw everything away."

A few hours later, Johnny's manager finds him pounding away at a bag angrily. "Johnny," he calls.

"What do you want Chuck?"

"We need to talk."

Johnny turns to his manager sharply. "That's what telephones were invented for," he snaps nastily.

Chuck narrows his eyes at Johnny. "Yeah, you didn't pick up," he reminds Johnny.

Johnny folds his arms across his chest. "Seriously, what do you want?"

"Brian Townshend complained about his lead actor being an arrogant son of a bitch. I told you to make nice with him," Chuck scolds him.

Johnny heaves an agitated sigh. "I honestly am not about to kiss his ass because he happens to be fucking my ex-wife. I have to draw the line somewhere."

"I'm not asking you to kiss his ass."

"Essentially, you are. Because I've already tried to make nice with the man and he won't budge."

"Well maybe you should try harder."

"You know what?" Johnny starts, getting in Chuck's face, "maybe you should try harder to be a better agent, but you don't fucking hear me complaining about anything, now do you?"

Chuck narrows his eyes at Johnny. "That's a low blow and you know it."

"Un-mother fucking-real!" he shouts. He tries to walk away but Chuck grabs his arm, stopping him. "You've got till the count of three to let my fucking arm go, dude," he growls at his manager, his fists glowing green. Startled, Chuck releases Johnny's arm with wide eyes. "Either shut up and do your job quietly, or quit now and fuck off, because I highly doubt you want me to make the decision for you."

"Fine," Chuck huffs, stomping off.

When he's alone in the gym once more, Johnny yells while punching the bag repeatedly, gathering speed. With one final grunt, he punches the bag with so much force it detaches from the chains and flies across the training room he's in. His fists are glowing even brighter and he stares at them in awe. "Guess I'm not that big of a fraud, huh Hollywood?" he asks himself in the quiet of the room. He shakes his head and walks off, picking up his gym bag from the floor and leaving abruptly.

* * *

 **A/N:** Since I'll be leaving the country for a week, I won't have any service to update anytime soon, but I will be working on it so I can probably have something to update with when I get back. In the meantime, you have my permission to bombard my email with questions and concerns. Review as always.


	10. Suicide Mission

**Disclaimer:** You know the deal. Don't own...

 **Author's Note:** I don't even know what happened between April and now, but life was crazy. My job hours got sucky so my mood took a hit as a direct result. I've actually had this chapter done for months now (I finished it in July). I've just been hesitant on posting because I went through many moments of weakness. I'm not gonna write what's been happening between then and now so I'll just let you have this long awaited chapter. If you're interested in knowing, I'll be possibly writing a blog on my Tumblr account later. The link to my page is in my profile. Also, thanks for staying with me regardless. I don't know if I'll be able to get back to my normal schedule, but I will surely try.

* * *

 **Suicide Mission**

Sonya spreads a map of Indochina out on the table in her office at the base and holds the upper left hand corner down with her pen case. "All right, we'll dispatch from this meeting point," she explains as she points to a section, "and from there, each team will fly up to Raiden's sky temple. It's imperative each squad does their part to secure the entrances so Raiden is able to do the same for the Jinsei."

The men nod and one raises a hand to draw her attention. When she looks at him, he starts, "And who will be going up to assist Raiden up here?"

"The idea is to have those chosen to be with me in the same chopper follow my lead at all times," she answers. "I need you all to understand something," she begins grimly, straightening her back and folding her arms. "Many of us will _not_ come home from this mission the same, if at all. I'm asking for a lot, which I understand. However, it's either to take a few losses here and there or risk putting all our loved ones in danger."

"Understood, Major Blade," another Lieutenant responds, nodding his head in reluctant agreement.

"Good. Are there any other questions?" she implores her leaders.

"No, ma'am," they reply.

She nods again, wordlessly dismissing them from her office. As they leave, she begins to carefully roll up the map, intent on setting it back in its original place. She gets to the left end before she hears her name being called. Startled, she knocks over her tinned pen case and watches as the map unfurls itself. She slowly turns her head to the door to see Blake standing by the entrance. She stands up and leans against her desk. "Blake," she greets him, folding her arms across her chest. "What do you need?"

"Just making sure all is well with your teams," he replies.

She squints at him. "Everything is _fine_ ," she informs him. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she turns back around, busying herself with fixing her desk. After a while, she feels his presence in her office, so she turns around. She lets out a squeal of surprise when he's standing right in front of her. "Jesus, don't scare me like that."

"You're telling _me_ not to scare _you_?"

Sonya frowns at him. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"This mission, Sonya; it's suicide. You know that, right?"

She heaves an agitated sigh. "You must have missed the part where I said it's either a few losses or a grand loss. Which would you prefer? Because if Shinnok escapes—"

"Who's Shinnok?"

She pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes. After taking a few deep breaths, she begins to explain, "He is a fallen Elder God. If he gets near the Jinsei..." she trails off with a scowl when Blake gives her a blank look. "You know, your look almost makes me believe you didn't listen to a Goddamn word I've said about how serious this situation is." Before he can defend himself, a beeping sound is heard coming from inside one of the drawers in her desk. Her green eyes go wide when she picks up her communication amulet. "Raiden?"

"Sonya Blade, I'm afraid I have some disturbing news."

"Oh? What is it?" She gives a quick glance at Blake before shooing him out of her office. "Did something happen?"

"Quan Chi has been sighted. His Oni warriors threaten the lives of everyone here. I need your help as soon as possible."

Sonya swallows uneasily. The thought of her mission starting earlier than anticipated leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. How is she supposed to tell her soldiers they might not be home for Christmas? When she finishes her disturbing conversation with Raiden, she sinks in her chair and buries her head in her hands. "Fuck, I can't do this," she mumbles. Her lips tremble from the effort to contain her emotions. With another sigh, she shakes her head and recites to herself her entire plan, hoping it would reassure her they would work. "This is for the greater good of the world."

* * *

A couple of days before Christmas, Johnny is lying in bed when he begins to feel soft pressure against his chest which slowly travels downward. He cracks an eye open just in time to see his girlfriend diving under the covers as she places kisses to his abdomen. "Sara?" he wonders, clearing his scratchy throat.

"Just let it happen," she tells him. He doesn't have time to protest before he realizes Sara going down on him. He's quiet and still, unable to enjoy the normally erotic action taking place and he feels like shit. He squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for it to be over. "You don't seem to be enjoying this very much," she observes. He opens his eyes to see the wave of disappointment washing over her. "Okay Johnny, please tell me what's wrong?"

He sits up and rubs a hand over his face. "I can't do this anymore," he finally tells her after a few awkward moments of silence.

Sara stares at Johnny in disbelief. "Sorry?" she nearly scoffs at him. She scoots out of bed and stalks over to the door to retrieve her robe.

"Look, Sara," he starts.

She shakes her head, cutting him off. "No, I mean, I get it. I've been trying to resurrect something that's been dead for months now. I feel like an idiot."

"Sara," he pleads with her. She turns around with her arms folded. "I'm so sorry, okay? I should've said something earlier."

"Ya think?" she snaps nastily, causing him to frown deeply. "I tried so hard to make this work and I just couldn't compete. That makes me feel like shit. You realize that, right?"

"What would you be in competition with, hon?" he asks her, thoroughly confused. His phone takes the unfortunate time to ring. He peeks at the screen and his heart flutters. Sara hitches an eyebrow in his direction, pulling his attention back to her. "I need to take this." She rolls her eyes and scoffs again. "Hey, yeah I'm here. You needed something?" He listens for a while and nods. "Right. That makes sense. Yeah, sure I'll be there tomorrow. Okay. See ya." He hangs up and turns back to his girlfriend. "That was the Major. I'm gonna need to go on my trip a bit earlier."

"Of course. Because traveling around the world with _Anya_ is more important than my movie meeting," she spits scathingly.

"I'm not traveling the world with Sonya for pleasure, Sara. This is something I _need_ to do. I will come back and we'll film your movie, but this can't wait or else we won't have anything _to_ come back to. Can you understand that?"

His girlfriend bites her lip and blinks furiously. "Cindy was _right_ ," she says, her voice cracking.

"What?"

"I can't believe that self-satisfied bitch was right about something for once in her measly little life," she repeats. He opens his mouth again before she blurts, "You're in love with the Major." At a loss for words, he closes his mouth and stares at her. "And look, you can't even find the words to deny it. Unbelievable." Unexpectedly, she bursts into tears and buries her head in her hands, making Johnny's heart sink to the pit of his stomach. He rolls out of bed and heads over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Don't touch me right now," she demands, and he promptly removes his hand off her shoulder as though he's been physically burned by her words.

"I'm sorry, Sara," he mumbles shamefully as she sniffs and hiccups. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be, okay? You can't help how you feel." Turning away from Johnny, Sara begins gathering her belongings from his bedroom floor. "Don't bother with the movie when you get back. I'll just find another lead. I don't want to get in the way of your travels or anything."

"Sara, wait," he tries again to convince her to listen to him. She shakes her head again before throwing him a disgusted look. Without another word, she leaves his bedroom and eventually his condo, slamming each door behind her angrily and causing the shutters to shake against the force. He sinks down to the floor against his for and sighs heavily. Cindy was going to pay for ruining his livelihood once again.

* * *

"We leave for Beijing tomorrow," Sonya abruptly announces to the large conference room full of soldiers the next day. As expected, there were grumbles and groans of despair and disappointment. "Quiet!" she snaps at them. Immediately the room becomes silent. "I know this is last minute and all, but I need every single one of you to step up to the plate and help not only your country, but Earthrealm as well. These demons and these powerful being have the power to eradicate the world as we know it. And we can't let that happen."

"Major Blade, do you know when or if we'll be back?" a sergeant asks her.

Kenshi and Sonya turn to give each other a wry look. "We are not entirely sure when we'll be back. We just know as soon as the threat is gone, you'll be able to return to your lives," he explains to the crowd. More groans are heard and Sonya whistles to silence everyone again. "Major Blade wants us all to come home safely. However, you must also understand the risks coming with this mission as well."

"And if you're not ready for it, you have every right to walk out of this room right now," she warns them. Almost immediately, ten soldiers stand up and walk out single file. She throws a hand to her hips and shakes her head, completely baffled at the lack of professionalism of her unit. "For all of you who have stayed, this earth and I will be forever grateful. See you all at 0600 hours." Everyone else leaves and Sonya slap a frustrated hand on her forehead. "This won't end well, I can feel it," she laments to Kenshi as he rubs his temples. "If we could leave tonight, I would in a heartbeat."

"There isn't any sense in beating yourself up about this, Sonya," he consoles her. She sighs. "We _will_ end this war with Netherrealm. And we _will_ save those who have fallen."

"I know. I just feel this overwhelming sense of dread, just like I did back in Gauteng. But you're absolutely right."

"Of course he is, Major." Sonya looks up to see Johnny standing by the side door with his usual smirk. She allows herself a small smile before containing herself. "You look shocked to see me."

"I thought you were filming?"

"I was, but then I finished and I packed what I could when you called yesterday," he explains to her.

She gives him a smirk before turning back to Kenshi. "All right, I'll let you two get reacquainted with each other."

"Where are you going? I know you don't have much to do since you're super prepared," Johnny asks her.

She turns to them with a grim smile. "I have a few of my own loose ends to tie up. Don't worry; I'll be available if you need me." With that, she turns on her heel and marches away as Johnny watches her with a tilted head. Before she fully leaves the room, she throws in a cocky, "Stop staring at my ass, Cage," something Kenshi laughs at.

"I was not staring," Johnny mutters as the other male shakes his head in disbelief. "I wasn't," he repeats defensively.

"I believe you," Kenshi consoles the actor soothingly. Johnny sits down in the previously occupied chair in front of him and sighs deeply. "Something on your mind?"

Johnny scrunches his face, debating on whether to tell the blind swordsman his dilemma. "My girlfriend broke up with me yesterday because I'm going on this mission."

Kenshi hums, contemplating his words. After a few moments of silence, Kenshi wonders, "Does she know how important it is you go on this expedition?"

Johnny shrugs before sighing again. "She never really gave me the chance to explain. My other ex got to her head saying shit like me choosing to hang out with Sonya over spending time with her."

"Were you?"

Johnny frowns. "Not intentionally, but I guess that's how it seems."

"I understand," Kenshi tells him. Johnny breathes a sigh of relief. "It _is_ for the greater good, but… you're also in love with her, aren't you?"

Johnny's eyes go wide in shock. "Oh for Christ sake, not you too, dude!"

It's Kenshi's turn to shrug. "Then it must be true if this isn't the first time you're hearing of this, right?"

"I'm not supposed to be in love with her, man," Johnny groans as he rubs his eyes tiredly.

"Why not?"

"It's not like she loves me back. It's not like I have a chance with her. She told me herself."

"And how long ago was that?" Kenshi wonders.

He thinks back to their breakfast together after the tournament. "Huh, that was two years ago pretty much."

Kenshi gives Johnny a reassuring smirk. "Things change, Johnny. And so do people. If it's meant to happen, it will."

Johnny rolls his eyes at the cliché. "Lemme guess, I have to trust in the universe, right?"

"Something of the sort," Kenshi quips, grinning broadly before clapping him on the shoulder, reminding Johnny of his old chums. "You should get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah, we do," Johnny agrees reluctantly. After Kenshi leaves, he sits in silence with his fist resting on his cheek. "Get a grip, Cage," he scolds himself.

* * *

"Get a grip, Blade," Sonya tells herself with a frown. She's lying on her bed in complete darkness and quiet, save for her inappropriately loud thoughts. "You have a mission tomorrow. You don't _have_ time to fuss with unimportant things." _Since when is Johnny an unimportant thing?_ "Since… since I said so, dammit," she answers her internal voice aloud. "Fuck, I'm losing my Goddamn mind." So what if she gets a thrilling rush thinking of the way she glanced at Johnny staring at her? It doesn't mean anything, she tries to convince herself. "Besides, he has a girlfriend." _She's such an overbearing… weird looking girl. I mean, is she straight out of high school or what?_ "She's a brunette; he likes brunettes." _But he_ _ **loves**_ _you._ "Would you shut up?!" A few knocks on her door interrupts her one woman debate. "What?!" she snaps in the direction of the door.

"You okay in there Sonya?" _his_ voice slips through the cracks of her room (and sanity).

"Uh… yeah… sorry. I was having… I was dreaming," she answers. _Of you_ , the annoyingly devilish voice in her head echoes. She groans. "I'll talk to you in the morning."

"It _is_ morning," Johnny informs her. She rolls her eyes and stares at her alarm clock. The numbers slowly come into focus and she takes a minute to realize it's half past five am.

"Oh, shit!" she screams in shock before rolling out of bed. Unsure of Johnny's presence still, she tells him she's going in the shower. _He should join you_. She grumbles as she takes a two minute shower, barely having time to properly wash her hair. So she throws it into a messy ponytail before tiredly shoving her feet and arms through her combat uniform.

She finally steps out of her office twenty minutes later and her breath catches in her throat at what Johnny is wearing. He's dressed similarly to her, with dark military green cargo pants and a matching (and what she hopes is a bulletproof) vest. The only difference between her and Johnny is her green short sleeve shirt under her opened vest whilst his vest is zipped three quarters up, showing off the H and N of his chest tattoo. "Wow. If those weren't costume pieces, I'd almost believe you're a part of this expedition."

He looks down at his wear with a frown. "It's… it's not a costume. Your friend Blake let me use some extra stuff."

She blinks at him. "Oh." Her face softens at his admission. "This is real for you?"

"Hell yeah it is!" She raises an eyebrow at him. "No one threatens my country… uh, and Earthrealm. No one."

She allows herself a smile at him before catching herself. "All right, let's go. They're waiting for us."

"Lead the way, Major," he tells her.

When they get to the receiving area, Sandy launches herself onto Sonya, squeezing her into a tight hug which draws a deep gasp from the major. "Sonya… uh I mean, Major Blade," she starts as Sonya raises an eyebrow at her. "You need to talk to Falcon. He won't let me drive the helicopter with you in it."

Rolling her eyes, she whips her head to the direction of the soldier in question. He stops talking to his group as he realizes his commanding officer is staring at him and he waves at her sheepishly. "Don't worry; you'll get your own helicopter to drive."

Sandy blinks at Sonya. "Wait… really?" Sonya nods once. "Holy shit, you're the best Blade-y!"

"I'm fully aware," She agrees, full of conceit. After looking at her surroundings one more time, takes a deep breath and marches forward. "We'll be in Beijing in two days if we leave right now. From there, well officially split up into our sections, so let's go."

One by one, each soldier boards their jets, ready to risk their lives for their country in against one of the biggest threats they have ever experienced in their short tenure in Sonya's unit.

* * *

 **A/N:** Annnddd... cue the opening sequence of MKX, where you hear Johnny talking about the last two years and the helicopter ride. The next chapter will literally be after Johnny's chapter ends its flashback and will feature elements of the comic as well. It shouldn't take long because I'm excited to get it out. Thanks and read/review as usual. Talk to me. I talk back


	11. The More Things Change

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked… I still don't own it.

 **Author's Note:** *Dodges rotten tomatoes* I did _not_ forget this story! I just haven't had any ideas on how I wanted to proceed, but I think I got this now. I'm so, so, sorry! I hope you guys are still out there because I still love y'all. Also, if you follow me on Tumblr, you'll actually recognize one of the scenes as a one-shot I'd posted a while back, so that belongs to me as well. Okay, enough talk; here ya go!

 **The More Things Change**

* * *

 _Sonya._

 _She called me._

 _She called me Johnny._

 _Aww, she loves me. I think._

 _She **did** called me Johnny._

These are the thoughts continuously going through Johnny's mind as he watches her breathing evenly. They're in the small hospital wing of Wu Shi Academy; Sonya is in bed while he's at her bedside stroking her hand tenderly.

He hates how right she was about the mission being suicide. He's sure she knows she lost a lot of her men, but is still unclear on how many exactly aren't going back home with them. One of the last things she muttered before losing full consciousness was Sandy, or something. He needs to follow up on it, but he doesn't want to leave her side, not just yet.

Sonya's eyes flutter open slowly and his breath hitches in his throat. He leans into her and he's the first thing she sees when her green eyes focus. "Hey," she greets him softly.

"Hey you," he answers. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," he teases lightly.

She grunts humorously and turns her head towards him. "Thanks," she tells him. She sits up in bed and rolls her neck around in a circle. "Where's Raiden?" she wonders, rubbing the back of her neck and cringing at the knot forming.

He stands up. "He's talking to the Elder Gods about Shinnok and his amulet."

Her mind immediately flashes back to the Jinsei as she remembers bits and pieces of the mission: the majority of her team falling victim to Scorpion and Sub-Zero in their revenant forms, seeing Jax for the first time since his death.

But the memory causing a smirk to pull on her face was the way Johnny beat down Shinnok to help Raiden lock him in his amulet, never to be unleashed again. Being held in his arms wasn't a bad part of the deal either, despite her lack of total awareness.

" _Johnny… did we…?" she asked, looking up at him._

" _Yeah," he confirmed with a cocky smirk, "we got 'em."_

She barely remembers his date proposal having been in and out of consciousness and everything, but she's sure if he asked again, she'd take him up on his offer. He earned it after all, she reasons with herself as another small smirk forms on her face. "What's so funny?" he asked, breaking into her reverie.

A blush replaces the smirk. "Uh…" she starts awkwardly. "I'm just trying to piece together what happened today," she finally answers him with, which is not a complete or even a half lie. "Have you heard from Sandy?"

 _Oh shit_ , he thinks, cringing. It's his turn to look around the room self-consciously. "Well," he starts before someone barges into the room, cutting him off.

The woman of the hour herself pants for breath before squealing, "Blade-y!" Sergeant Sandy strolls into the room, giving Johnny a wink before sitting on the edge of Sonya's bed. "Jeeze, what happened to you, Major?"

"My Heli was blown," Sonya answers her.

Sandy's baby blue eyes widen in shock. "Holy shit, are you… I mean… for fuck's sake woman. I'm glad you're all right, I guess? Goddamn Falcon," she rants before Sonya puts up a hand to stop the young woman from babbling on. "Sorry. Damn Major, I'm glad you're okay but… it could've been me in there, you know?"

"I'm aware," Sonya enlightens her. Sandy frowns. "I'm glad you're okay as well, Pierson." Sonya looks up at Johnny once again, catching the smile gracing his strong features and she blushes once more. She notices Sandy eyeing her and they share a look. "We'll speak later," Sonya tells her.

"Yeah, we will Blade!" Sandy teases. She stands up and stares at Johnny. "Be nice to my Major, Cage," she whispers in his ear as she passes through the door to leave.

Johnny chuckles as he's left in the room with Sonya once more. They both start to say something to each other before stopping. "You first," he tells her.

She blinks at him. "I was just going to ask when I owe you this date."

His grin becomes wide with conceit. "Any time you want," he responds, careful to leave his signature sweet nickname habit out. He does wiggle his eyebrows though, something she catches.

She smiles at him tenderly. "It's settled then… honey," she jests at him with a wink, lying back down in her cot.

* * *

True to her word, Sonya calls Johnny almost a week later from her office, having been back in the States as soon as she was cleared by the Thunder God. "Johnny Cage," he answers smoothly, sitting up in bed.

"Hey you," she greets him softly.

His heart does a happy thump. "Hey," he answers. "You're back?"

"Mmm hmm," she tells him. "I'm gonna be really busy with work these next few days… so?"

"How does Friday sound?" he wonders.

She furrows her eyebrows. "Friday isn't all that great actually. I have a morning engagement to attend," she informs him sadly. She sighs.

"Hmm, what about Thursday? I promise I'll get you back to where you need to be as soon as I'm done annoying you."

She laughs out loud, causing the soldier whom she'd just let into the office to stare at her in disbelief. She straightens herself up and gives the corporal a reproachful look. He grins sheepishly and drops a stack of documents on her desk before practically jogging away. She clears her throat and says, "I'll do my best to make it work, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan, sugar plum," he teases before catching himself. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

She giggles and he sighs happily. "It's fine. I'll see you on Thursday?"

"Yep, Thursday. See ya then Major." He bids her adieu and hangs up before receiving another call. "Missed me already?" he answers smoothly.

"Hardly," was Sara's dry response. His face does a complete 180. "I was just calling to let you know it isn't necessary to come to any meetings regarding Every Dog."

Right. He'd forgotten how quick Sara dropped him before going on the mission. Or how he basically admitted how "in love" he truly was with Sonya. He swallows before saying, "Okay, I completely understand."

"Good. Also, I think I left my cat's medicine at your place. When can I come get it?" she continues.

He scrunched his lips in thought. "Whenever you want to. I'm free all week except Thursday."

She pauses before responding with, "Okay. I'll drop by after my meetings today as that's the only time I'm free this week. I'll let you know when I'm near."

"That's fine," he replies evenly. The conversation grows increasingly tense, him feeling her unspoken (and probably nasty) thoughts. "Well… I guess—"

"Why couldn't you just be honest with me, John? You could've told me you wanted to be with her instead of me," Sara blurts, interrupting him. He stares at his phone, flabbergasted. When he doesn't answer, she plows on with, "And just so you know, it wasn't my idea to strip you from the project. But it's for the best because I'm not completely over you and it hurts."

"I—" he begins.

"I'm glad you're alive though. Your friend Stacy told me about where you went," she concluded, thinly veiling her sarcasm.

Johnny sighs roughly. "Her name is Stasi, Sara. And thank you for your concern, I think. There's no need to be rude about any of them. You're still a genuinely nice person and… I can't ask for us to be friends, but can't we be civil?"

Sara laughs nastily, eerily remind him of his damned ex-wife and Johnny manages to narrowly bite back a groan. "Hardly," she answers. "I'll be by later for her medicine, Cage," she mumbles before hanging up abruptly.

Johnny calmly places his phone back down on the bed before angrily knocking his lamp to the ground with glowing fists. "Fuck this," he mutters before stalking out of his apartment.

* * *

On Thursday, Sonya regretfully enlists Sandy for her help on her date as she's in her hotel room near the beach. Standing over the bathroom sink in her matching green bra and underwear set, Sonya fusses with her hair. "You should leave it out," Sandy tells her from the bedroom.

Sonya heaves a sigh. "God, you sound like him," she complained with an eye roll. She doesn't take her advice and puts her hair up in a bun and secures it with a scrunchie.

"You mean _lover_ boy?" she teases her commanding officer. Sonya growls and Sandy laughs. "You should say his name… over and over—"

"Don't _even_ think about it, Cassandra," Sonya warns her. She exits the bathroom to see the outfit her charge has put together for her date. She picks up the red and black sleeveless plaid shirt and holds it against her body, scrutinizing it carefully. "Hmm, not bad," she compliments her.

"Duh!" Sandy brags. Sonya scowls at her. "Be nice," Sandy scolds her. "And you should go home with him tonight. I'll hold down the fort."

Sonya chokes on her spit. " _Excuse_ me? Do you honestly think I'm that type of woman?"

Sandy scratches her head. "No? That's not how I meant it, Major. I meant… you know, maybe a night cap?"

Sonya purses her lips as she wiggles herself into a pair of black jeans. "I'll think about it but no promises," she concedes. She laces up her black boots and ties them securely into a neat bow. Standing up, she brushes invisible dirt off her clothing and asks, "How do I look?" Sandy scrutinizes her commanding officer carefully, walking around in a circle. Sonya rolls her eyes and folds her arms. Without warning, Sandy yanks the hair tie securing Sonya's loose bun. "Ow! What the fuck, Cassandra?!" Sonya yelps, rubbing her head tenderly.

"I _said_ to leave it out," Sandy berates her. Sonya growls again. "You'll thank me later." Sonya grabs her black jacket and flips her off. "I love you too, Blade-y!" she calls from the door Sonya just left from. Chuckling to herself, she mutters, "She's not coming back tonight," before making herself comfortable on the hotel's queen sized bed.

Meanwhile, Johnny waits patiently for Sonya at the movie theater near the beach. He's wearing a _Massive Strike_ shirt under his olive green jacket and medium rinse jeans. But the anxiety gets to him and he checks his watch for the umpteenth time. Finally, she walks up to him, waving at him. _Oh, thank fuck,_ he thinks to himself, completely relieved she didn't stand him up. "Hey Major," he greets her.

"Hi," she responds breathlessly. In a shocking move, she wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes. He hugs her back and smiles, genuinely happy to see her. His anxiety settles down and she lets him go. "Sorry for making you wait so long, I had things I needed to finish up before checking in," she explained to him.

 _It was only half an hour_ , is his initial response. "It's okay," he decides on instead. "I wasn't waiting long," he adds.

She gives him a skeptical look. "I was late," she tells him.

"Hey, I'm just glad you're here. You could've ditched me completely," he replies honestly.

She casts her eyes down. "That could've been true a couple of years ago, but I wouldn't do that to you now," she admits. Then she perks up. "So which movie are you dragging me to?"

Johnny strokes his chin in an exaggerated contemplative manner, something Sonya laughs at while slapping a hand on his shoulder. "How do you feel about horror movies?" She shrugs and nods. "Okay, because I've been dying to see that new movie with the evil nanny."

"Oh, you mean _The Hand That Rocks the Cradle_? Me, too!"

He brightens up significantly. "You plan on holding on to me the entire time, Sonya?" he teases her.

She laughs again. "In only your wildest dreams," she answers mirthfully. She's careful in avoiding calling him Johnny but is also trying to get out of the habit of calling him by his last name. He wraps his arms around her shoulder and she's too swept up in her thoughts to protest.

He asks for the tickets and she starts taking out her wallet when he stops her. "It's my treat," he reminds her.

"But—"

"When we have a second date I'll let you pay half. For the time being, it's on me," he tells her. She offers him a tiny smile and puts away her wallet.

After they settle into the theater, she teases him by saying, "You're optimistic about a second date, huh?"

He laughs out loud, causing people to stare at them. He clears his throat awkwardly and leans in to whisper, "Or next time we hang out as friends if you have no interest in progressing any further."

It's Sonya's turn to put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I'll let you know by the end of the night."

"Sounds like a deal," he agrees.

* * *

Standing in front of the Thai restaurant they had just eaten in, Johnny looks at Sonya, silently debating their next move. He conveniently lives a couple of blocks away from their currently location, but he didn't want to scare her away by suggesting such a brazen move. After all, it'd taken him forever to even get to this point with the petite blonde. "My hotel is close by," she tells him, breaking the silence a few moments later. He opens his mouth to answer when she adds, "But I wouldn't mind a night cap."

The usually talkative, boastful actor is rendered speechless, a rare occurrence in his thirty years of age. He raises an eyebrow at her. "Uh, you sure?" he questions her. He's giving her time to change her mind because he isn't sure what can and will happen between them. All Johnny knows is if he got Sonya to go home with him, he'd be half inclined to never let her leave his bed. "I mean, I _do_ live around here, but if you really want—"

"Lead the way, Cage," she says. She grabs his hand and weaves her fingers through his, giving them a gentle squeeze. With a satisfied grin, he leads them back to his condo.

He releases his hand from her grip unwillingly and takes out his keys to open the door. "Ladies first," he tells her, grandly gesturing for her to go first. She gives him a small smile which absolutely melts his insides. When they get to his floor, she makes a left turn, standing by the wrong door. He laughs. "Over here," he says, waving her over. She walks over to him and ducks under his arm to let herself into his place.

 _It's definitely a man cave_ , Sonya notes to herself; Johnny has a couple of beer bottles and papers scattered about and his light blue terrycloth robe with his initials etched into the fabric is laying across his couch casually, taking up residence like a friendly neighbor. "Jesus Cage, you need to clean up your man cave," she teases lightly as she sits on the couch.

He bristles at her usage of his last name. "Well," he starts as he picks up the bottles, "I wasn't really expecting company." He turns to her and adds, "If I'd have known you wanted to come by, this place would be spic and span for you."

She looks up at him. "Wow. So you don't have a queue of women throwing themselves at you at all times?"

He frowns in response. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not like that. I don't like women throwing themselves at me. I like a challenge."

As he's fixing up his recycling, she asks, "So, what does that make _me_?" And he swore, if he listened closely, he could hear the sensual leering of her voice in her statement. In a flash, he's sitting next to her on his couch. He spreads both hands over the back of his couch, one of them snaking around her shoulder. She shakes her head at the brazen move. "Real smooth there, John," she laughs. He laughs with her. "You didn't answer my question though. Why me?"

Johnny shrugs. "Why not you, baby?" he jokes. Sonya slaps her palm over his chest which he feigns hurt over. "No, seriously," he tries again.

"Wow, _The_ Johnny Cage is about to be serious?" she quips. He squeezes her thigh in response.

"Well, you're someone I'd really like to know more about. I mean, you're military and you're a gorgeous babe." He seals this proclamation with a sweeping look. She heats up considerably over his stare. "And, when you're not being Major Blade, you're a lot of fun to be around." Her silence makes him trail off. "Need I continue?"

Sonya shakes her head no. "I think I've got the point," she says while blushing. "You're not so bad yourself, Cage."

He places a hand over his heart. "Aww, Sonya, would it kill you to call me Johnny? Or I'll even accept John," he tells her. She chuckles at his antics. He stands up again. "Where are my manners? Would you like something to drink?" he asks her.

"What do you have?"

"Hmm," he contemplates, "let me check." He goes into his kitchen and opens the fridge to check out his choices. He has more Coors, a Budweiser, orange juice, a pitcher of water, and a random bottle of his best Merlot.

"Water is fine," her voice startling him from directly behind. He turns to face her standing extremely close to him, invading his personal space (not that he minded). "Sorry," she apologizes as she takes a step back, allowing him enough room to maneuver around her.

"You're fine, babe," Johnny assures her. He grabs two glasses and pours them both some water. He hands Sonya a glass and she takes a sip from it. He places a gentle hand on her shoulder and guides her back to the couch.

They stay on the couch, talking for hours. Sonya glances at her digital watch and her green eyes widen in shock. "Shit, I didn't realize the time!" She stands up and rushes to put her boots back on when a hand stops her. "Yeah?"

Johnny looks at her intently. "If you want, you can spend the night. It _is_ late and I wouldn't want you wandering the streets."

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself," she responds.

"I don't doubt that at all," he explains, "but still. I'd feel better if you stayed. You can leave when the sun comes up."

"You mean if it hasn't already?" she asks with a laugh. But she understands his point. She slowly sits back down and removes her boot once more. He leaves to get her some blankets and a pillow, but she follows him to his room. Another quirk of his eyebrows inquires silently. "Just for the night," she reiterates. With a nod, he sheds his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers. She follows his lead, leaving her in her olive green bra and matching underwear.

She crawls into bed behind him, turning him into the little spoon and wraps a hand around his midriff. "Aww," he coos as he turns around to face her. "I don't even get a goodnight kiss?" he teases her lightly. She smirks at him. "I'm joking. Night Sonya."

Leaning into the space between them, Sonya presses her soft lips firmly against Johnny's. It sends an exciting jolt of energy through his body and he can't help but grab her by the bottom and pull her closer to him. She opens her mouth slightly, smiling when he shifts the control over to him. One of his hands goes to her hair and brushes a few strands away from her face. When she finally pulls away, she ducks her head under his chin. "Thank you," she whispers.

He presses his lips to her forehead affectionately. "You're welcome," he whispers back, listening to the sound of her soft breathing.

* * *

During her debriefing later in the day, Sonya fights down a smile every time she feels herself drifting into la-la land. "Anything else you want to add, Major Blade?" Blake asks her.

Shaking her head, she mutters, "No," before ducking her head abashedly. She rubs at her neck, silently wishing for the meeting to be over. She gets her wish when the lieutenants in her brigade start packing up to leave. She follows suit and recognizes one of her old lieutenants who's now a Major himself. "Gutierrez," she quietly greets him.

"Blade," he nods as he leaves the room.

It's just her and Blake left and the tension immediately becomes thick with uneasiness. "Blake," she says before heading to the door.

"So, you're honestly going to ignore me now that you've got Cage?" he asks her. His tone of voice spikes her anger level just a touch.

She turns around to face him. "You already know it's not like that," she informs him. With a sigh, she adds, "Anyway, my team and I are going back to the Netherrealm soon. Are you coming or no?"

He shrugs. "If you need backup again, I'm a call away. Other than that, I have other teams to overlook as well. I meant it when I said you're in charge now."

She sighs again. This isn't how she wanted her friendship to end between the two, but she knows it's for the best. Nodding once, she thanks him silently and leaves just as her phone rings. Irritated, she answers, "Major Blade," rather sharply.

"Hey Sonya," Johnny's voice greets her excitedly and her temper almost immediately dissipates. _Damn you Johnny Cage_ , she thinks as a blush spreads across her body. "Are you free tonight?"

She thinks of all the reports needing to be done by the end of the week and her face falls again. "Not tonight, I'm afraid. I have so much to do before we go back."

"I understand hon," he tells her delicately. Then an idea springs into his head. "Why don't I come to _you_ for once… you know, as long as it's okay with your bosses?"

She chuckles. "You're still on my team right?" He answers with a hum. "Then it's all right with my bosses. Technically you report to me now anyway."

"Yes ma'am," he jokes as she rolls her eyes. "Sorry," he sobers up with.

She snickers and he grins through the phone. "You're such an idiot," she muses tenderly. "Just let me know when you get here so I can give you clearance, all right Cage?"

"Whatever happened to calling me Johnny?"

She chuckles again. "That'll be later," she tells him alluringly. "Blade out," she finalizes and hangs up in a rush.

At his condo, Johnny stares at his phone and shakes his head mirthfully. "She is gonna be the death of me," he muses before his phone rings again in his hand. He looks at the caller ID on his phone and sees it's his agent. _Not for long, sucker_ , he thinks bitterly as he answers with a curt, "Johnny Cage."

"John Robert Carlton, what the fuck happened to _Every Dog_ dude?!" Chuck berates him over the phone. Johnny calmly tunes him out as he's being scolded like a bad puppy by his agent and rolls his eyes when Chuck yells, "Do you understand me?"

"Whatever you say, man," Johnny tells him irately.

Chuck continues with, "So that means no more gallivanting around with Lieutenant Anya Blake or whatever her name is. _Every Dog_ was your chance at redemption, man. You need this. We _both_ need this."

This causes Johnny to officially check into the conversation. "Oh, so me trying to save the world in real life is considered gallivanting, huh?" he starts dangerously calm.

Obviously, Chuck doesn't receive the hint. "Look, I'm not saying to get back with Sara Dunham just to get back on the script, but you gotta fix this somehow."

Johnny huffs. "Okay, let me tell you something, _Charles_ ," he bites, emphasizing Chuck's full first name, "First of all, her name is Major Sonya Blade; remember it and respect the damn military major. Second of all, I don't _need_ the movie, and I don't even think the movie needs me as badly as you may think it does, so get off my back. Third of all, if you hadn't placed me on the fucking set of _Sudden Violence_ with Brian fucking Townshend with him fucking my ex-wife Cindy all the goddamn time, you wouldn't be having an issue here either."

Chuck growls. "Look Cage, I'm trying to help you sort out _your_ life. Your prime days are ending and quite frankly, I'm not in the business to try to resurrect or breathe life into _your_ career. You're not even in a stable relationship to be thinking about giving it up for some woman." There is a pause where Johnny sharply intakes a breath of air. Now he's starting to _truly_ understand where Chuck's loyalties are just as he begins to realize where his lie as well. "You know what? I can't tell you what to do with your life. I just need you to fix things and find where your priorities are, okay? We'll talk later."

Johnny snorts. "You know what, Chuck? You're absolutely right," Johnny tells him.

Chuck pauses for a moment. "I _am_?" he questions apprehensively. He was semi thoroughly prepared for a verbal lashing.

"Mmm hmm," Johnny hums as he realizes Sonya is calling him again. He painfully ignores the call; he has business to finish with Charles Alexander Montgomery. "I am going to sort out my priorities, starting with trying to help _Sonya_ save... save the world. Then, I am going to make her my wife and we'll kick ass together for the rest of our lives and have a house full of kids. I will also make my own movies on _my_ time and _my_ dime."

"See? Now _that's_ a good idea, Johnny," Chuck praises him, relaxing into the conversation as Johnny squeezes his jaw shut in anger. Sonya's calling him once more and he ignores it, promising to call her right back.

"I agree," he grits through his teeth. Johnny releases his jaw and takes a deep breath. "I'm starting to get my life in order now."

Chuck makes a sound of approval. "Thank you, Johnny."

"No problem. And Chuck?"

"Yeah Johnny?" Chuck answers.

Johnny smirks evilly. "You're fired."

"I'm… _what_?!"

Johnny removes the phone from his ear and repeats, "You're fucking fired," slowly before rudely hanging up on his former agent. He calls Sonya back. "You called babe?"

Without wasting time on lecturing him for the pet name, Sonya says, "I need you. Netherrealm. Now," before hanging up.

* * *

 **A/N:** I have an idea of how the next chapter is going to start because this is where their relationship starts to get serious due to Johnny's proclamation. As usual, please read and review. You know I respond to as much as I can. Thanks!


	12. The Unknown Realm

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or any characters you recognize.

 **Author's Note:** So, these next few chapters are progressing kinda slowly for a reason, but I promise it's worth the read. Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Unknown Realm**

In the Netherrealm before being able to locate Quan Chi's fortress, Sonya and her team are ambushed by Oni demons followed closely by revenants Kitana and Liu Kang. An elbow to the nose courtesy of the former Edenian princess knocks Sonya off her guard as multiple men from her teams are charred to death by Liu Kang. As he's aiming another fire ball towards Sonya and Sandy, Johnny stands in front of the two women before Fujin saves them all by opening a portal for them and blasting both revenants away with a surge of cold air.

"Fuck this," Sonya mutters as she gets up. "Abort!" she tells the remainder of her men as they all retreat into the portal.

Stumbling back into the Jinsei chamber, Sonya, Johnny, and the last of her team collapse on the floor panting for breath, with Johnny breathing the hardest out of them all. "Jesus fucking Christ," he swears. "Liu-Liu fucking tried to kill us all!"

"No… fucking… kidding!" Sandy pants as Sonya swallows. She rolls on her side before getting up, stumbling towards Major Gutierrez. "Sir?" Sandy shakes the older man's shoulders. "Major Gutierrez?"

"Give him a minute, Sergeant," Sonya tells her charge.

Sandy huffs, disregarding her C.O's instructions and taps him again. "Gutierrez, damn you, sir!"

Johnny chuckles despite being low of energy. "You sure love listening to rules, huh?" he wonders sarcastically. It's only when Sandy begins dragging him closer to the Jinsei do they all realize something horrifying. "What the fuck?!"

"Didn't I say to—?" Sonya starts to yell at Sandy before seeing his upper body only following Sandy to the Jinsei. "Pierson, stop!" she screams.

"But I—" Sandy defends herself before seeing his halved body and screaming bloody murder.

 _Hours later_

Johnny closes the door to the slumber room quietly behind him as Sonya stands with her arms folded. "How is she?" she whispers.

He sighs. "Better I guess. She's finally sleeping," he tells her.

She rubs her hand against her forehead. "Why do these things happen to me?" she moaned in despair.

"Now you know better than to blame yourself for Gutierrez's… untimely death," he tries to assure her.

She sighs and unfolds her arms. "I know. Fucking Kitana," she grouses, rubbing her nose gingerly. "Ow… I think my nose needs to be reset."

"Here," Johnny says, stepping closer to her. "May I?" he asks for permission.

She mentally braces herself. "Go for it," she tells him after a few deep breaths. He pinches her nose and pulls it forward, feeling a soft click. "Ow, ow, ow, shit!" she complains softly.

He cringes. "Sorry sweet cheeks. Does it feel better though?"

She rubs her nose again. "Yeah?" she replies, unsure of what to make of their current situation. Slowly, a smile blooms across her face. "Sweet cheeks, huh? There's a new one," she teases him.

He takes another step closer to her, his temperature spiking at the heat of her aura. "Oh, baby, there are so many things I want to call you," he flirts with her. He tilts her head up with his fingers so she's eye to eye with him. "Just say the words."

"Johnny," she breathes softly. He grabs her and they kiss passionately. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and he brings her lower half closer to his as he slips his tongue into her eagerly awaiting mouth. She moans softly and tugs at his hair.

Just as one of his hands commence snaking up her back; Raiden interrupts them with, "Earthrealm warriors." They spring apart guiltily. He raises an eyebrow but says nothing of their behavior.

"Raiden," Sonya greets him tersely, fighting off a blush.

"Sup Rai-dude," Johnny echoes, earning himself a slap on the chest from Sonya.

Raiden frowns. "I have some more news on Quan Chi's movements through the Netherrealm." They both groan. "He has been in the lower levels where the spectre Scorpion has made his home."

Johnny sighs roughly. "So… he's not in his fortress?" he wonders.

"I'm afraid not," Raiden answers. It's Sonya's turn to huff. "Please get some rest. We will track him down tomorrow."

"Mmm hmm," Sonya answers brusquely. As soon as Raiden disappears in a flash of lightening, she kicks at the wall. "Goddamn fucking necro-fucking-mancer. _He's_ getting a punch down under when I finally get my fucking hands around his bald ass." Johnny blinks at her. "What?"

"Nothing… you're kinda hot when you're angry," he teases lightly.

"Shut up, John," she snaps at him, though her face betrays her voice.

He notices this and grabs her by the waist. "Say the words, Sonya."

She leans back and he showers her with kisses on her neck. "Mmm, not here, Cage. I'm warning you."

"Okay, _fine_ ," he acquiesces, letting her go. "Only because you called me Cage again. That's when I know you mean business."

"Damn straight," she boasted, bypassing him to get back to the door. "And Johnny?" He looks up to face her. "Try to keep it in your pants around my men, all right?"

He chuckles. "Can't guarantee I will, babe."

"Cage!"

"Yes, ma'am," he salutes her with.

* * *

A couple of days later after Sonya decides to extract her teams from the mission for the time being, she and Johnny are at his local gym training together, all in her bid to avoid going back to the base. She's practicing her taekwondo while he brushes up on his karate. They pause when they both recognize Cindy walking into their section of the gym with her new-found posse, one of which includes: " _Sara_?!" Johnny chokes.

Sonya's ponytail whips her in the eye from turning her head too fast at the mention of his ex-girlfriends. She narrows her eyes at Cindy, green eyes darkening with rage. "Johnny boy," Cindy ruefully greets him. She notices Sonya's evil eye and says, "Hello Anya, fancy seein' ya here."

Before Sonya can correct the Bostonian woman, Sara nastily pipes in with, "Don't you mean Lieutenant?"

"It's _Major_ Sonya Blade, thank you very much," Sonya spits just as maliciously, staring them down. She hasn't taken off her gauntlets from her mission yet, so her hand was itching to press the button. _No, Sonya, that's illegal. Don't do that_ , she must tell herself repeatedly. Great, she can't even train with Johnny at his gym without running into his multiple exes. She stalks up to him and announces, "I'm leaving." Before her departure though, she makes a show of catching their line of vision and planting a huge kiss on Johnny's lips. "Later baby," she tells him, winking as she picks up her gym bag and leaves… leaving poor Johnny to fend for himself against a bunch of women who most likely hate his guts through association.

He's too preoccupied with thinking about Sonya's brazenness to worry about the evil glares the women are sending him. "You know," he says, smirking proudly, "this could've been you, but you guys are too busy gossiping instead of taking the time to admire my physique."

Cindy growls as Sara groans. "You're such an ass," Sara tells him.

Grinning wider, he rebuts with, "And _Sonya_ loves me for it."

He leaves the gym, contemplating calling Sonya back to him but ultimately deciding to give her the space he knows she deserves.

* * *

Johnny catches up with Stasi later that night to discuss what's been happening since they've seen each other last. "So, _then_ Michael goes, 'yeah, no, this isn't gonna work out' and she gives _me_ the evil look as if it's _my_ fault."

Johnny shakes his head in disbelief. "As per usual. Speaking of my ex-wife, does she uh… does she look a little bigger to you or is it just me?" Stasi, in the middle of chewing a fry, drops it in shock. "Sorry, was that too mean?"

She laughs hysterically. "Oh, my God, I was thinking the same thing! Do you think she's … I think she is."

Johnny visibly shudders. "You think she's pregnant? Nasty; she could've done much better than that douche of a director."

Stasi cackles mischievously. "Maybe motherhood will suit her better."

It's Johnny's turn to choke on a sip of his banana milkshake. When he contains himself, he says, "Yeah, right. Stasi, you've gotta believe some people just aren't cut out for parenthood."

The two of them laugh for a while before one of their phones ring. "I think that's you, J," she tells him.

He looks at the caller ID on his phone. "Hey baby," he teases.

"You're a regular comedian, Johnny," Sonya laughs. Clearing her throat, she says, "I have a conference near the beach I need to go to and your place is the closest. Do you mind if I drop by for a bit?"

Johnny smirks and Stasi raises an eyebrow at him. "Do you need to ask me at this point?"

He's sure Sonya just rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, I do need to ask in fact. It would be rude of me to just come uninvited."

Stasi shakes her head, giggling as she steals the rest of his fries. "Sonya, darling," Johnny soothes into her ear. Her heart skips a beat at the dip of his voice. "You're invited to my house any time you want. Matter of fact, I can make you your own set of keys."

Sonya balks at this offer. "Um… that isn't really necessary, Johnny. I never really know when I'll be by, so I just figured I'd ask you beforehand."

"You do know I still don't have a bunch of women knocking at my door, right?" he enlightens her. He takes a second to think. "Well, they're not knocking on my door to spend the night, that's for sure, thanks to my useless ex."

Sonya scoffs. "Yeah," she bites, "she is a real piece of work, isn't she? Well, I did a bit of research on her. She should be leaving you alone from now on."

Johnny perks up. He calmly places the phone on speaker but lowers the volume a bit. "Oh yeah? Do tell. Why should she be leaving me alone from now on?" He turns to Stasi and whispers, "Perks of the military."

"So, Cynthia Holman aka Cindy is now legally Cynthia Holman-Townshend. She is also…" Johnny and Stasi listen carefully to Sonya's rapid typing. "Huh… no wonder she looked a little fat at the gym the other day. She's about fifteen weeks pregnant."

Stasi, amid a sip of Johnny's milkshake, spits it out all over his face and coughs. Johnny, seemingly unfazed by the abrupt expulsion of fluids on to his face, bursts into hysterical laughter. "Holy shit, that's rich. This is exactly what Stasi and I were _just_ talking about."

Sonya giggles at their reaction a bit before closing her tab on her computer. "Oops?" she feigns innocence. "Also, hi Stasi," she greets the other woman.

"Oh, my God I fucking love you Sonya!" Stasi laughs as she wipes her mouth.

Sonya's office phone rings. "I have to go. I just thought you should know that bit of info. I'll call you tomorrow, okay Johnny?"

"No problem, babe. See ya," he bids her farewell. Stasi shakes her head. "What?"

She chuckles. "You guys were totally made for each other, I swear."

Johnny sighs. "She might beg to differ," he laments as he picks up a fry. Putting it down, he pushes the plate closer to Stasi. "I mean, I'm sure she probably has feelings for me, but I can never tell where I stand with her."

"Have you asked?" Stasi asks him. He frowns, causing her to roll her eyes at him. "You should probably ask next time you see her."

He blinks at her. "Seems easy enough," he agrees. He shrugs, defeated and ready to let the conversation go.

* * *

In between Johnny filming yet another movie ( _Dragon Fists 2_ ) and Sonya's busy work schedule, they're only able to see each other late at night, prompting her to spend the night at his place several times. She normally leaves before he wakes up, leaving his sheets cold and his mind wandering as to where they stand with each other.

"So," Johnny finishes his story in bed with Sonya, "Raiden tells me I'll never be able to summon the green halo again."

She's on her side as she watches him twiddle his thumbs nervously. "But you still get your glowing fists and your shadow kick, huh?"

He shrugs. "Yeah, I guess. I don't know. Shit is too weird to think about," he finalizes.

"Understood," she sympathizes with him. With a sigh, she turns on her back just as Johnny turns to face her. "Oh," she says, turning back to her side so they're now facing each other. "I still wonder what prompted it in the first place."

 _It's because I'm in love with you… no, don't tell her that. It's because I… shit, don't tell her that either_ , Johnny thinks rapidly to himself as Sonya stares at him expectantly. "It's because…" he begins. _You should tell her_ ; his mind wanders again. "I think the green halo was a result of wanting to save someone from the brink of death. I mean… Bone Head blasted you pretty good."

She blinks at him. "So, if it were Kenshi in the same position, you think it would've happened then, too?" she wonders.

 _Oh… Jesus_. Despite the flips in his stomach, Johnny chuckles. "You sure love asking the hard questions, huh babe?"

She laughs lightly, the bed shaking with her body. "I'm just curious is all," she tells him. She takes a moment to lift her head briefly to fluff the pillow she's laying on. Even though she's still in her white undershirt and work pants, she attempts to make herself more comfortable in his bed by snuggling into his thin sheets. "Johnny, why is it so hot in your room?"

It's a question she constantly asks him, to which he responds as usual: "It's because you're in here with me."

"You're such an ass," she laughs.

"You know you'd miss me," he teases, leaving the rest of the sentence out. She sobers up, sensing the hidden message and swallows uneasily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"You didn't upset me, darling," she tells him, blinking back unwanted tears. She hits his arm and he whines. "Oh hush. I'm just… I'd miss you if something were to happen during this… war."

He scoots closer to her. "So, let's make sure nothing happens to either one of us during this war, huh?" She nods. She reaches to stroke his face lightly. "Also, you just called me darling. Aww, she thinks I'm darling."

"It's standard for anyone from Texas. Don't get your hopes up," she scolds him playfully.

He scoots even closer to her. "Oh really?" he questions her lightly as he traces nonsensical patterns into her arms. "Because you've never called me by any endearing terms before."

"That's not true!" she argues.

He rolls his eyes. "Correction, you've never called me by any endearing terms while _sober_." She opens her mouth to argue when he levels a look with her in the semi-darkness. She closes her mouth at a loss for words. "Exactly."

"Yeah, well, in my defense…" she starts to defend herself.

"Mmm hmm," he taunts her.

She slaps his chest again. "Shut up, you," she giggles again. "I was going to say a drunken mind speaks a sober heart."

"Ahh," he says in mock epiphany, "so even from that time in Vegas when you tried to seduce me—"

"Firstly, I did _not_ try to seduce you," she counters.

"Sonya honey, you shed all of your clothing and tried to get me in bed with you," he informs her. She scoffs. "And need I repeat exactly what you told me that night?" She grumbles to herself, which he takes as a sign to continue, "You said, 'one of these days, you'll beg me and I'll remember this'."

She giggles uncontrollably but plays along. "To which you responded with, 'honey, I doubt you'll even remember this conversation', yeah, yeah, yeah."

He laughs as well, subtly pulling her closer to him. "I wish you could stay over for real this time," he breathes into her hair.

"There's nothing stopping me from staying tonight… except maybe not having pajamas?" she tells him. He smirks. "Oh, what now?" He gets up from the bed and heads over to a drawer. He pulls out a pair of silk sleep shorts and tosses it to her. It lands on her face. "Thanks Cage." She stands up and wiggles herself out of her pants and into the shorts he'd just given her. "How'd you know what size to get?"

He shrugs, forgetting she can't really see him. "I just figured. You're definitely not a large but you also didn't strike me as an extra small."

"It's because I keep catching you staring at my ass, isn't it?" she teases him. She crawls back into bed as he jumps in behind her, turning her into the little spoon. He buries his face in her neck and she sighs contently. "I'm sleepy," she whispers.

"Me, too," he agrees. "Good night Sonya. And if you decide you need to leave, at least let me walk you out, no matter what time it is. There's been some break-ins in the area and I like my stuff."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine, I understand. Yes, I'll wake you up if I need to leave. Good night Johnny."

* * *

 **A/N:** Please read and review as usual. Your support is much appreciated as always.


	13. Status Change

**Disclaimer:** I sadly don't own it. Because if I had my way, Johnny and Sonya would still be together… maybe… we'll see. LOL!

 **Author's Note:** Your first warning: The beginning of this chapter isn't safe for work, so read it in the privacy of your home, away from kids, etc. I gave this fic an M rating for a reason. You're about to see why. Also, the cookie begins to bake in the oven (spoilers if you squint). Okay, enough talk. Here you go!

* * *

 **Status Change**

Spending another impromptu night with Sonya leaves Johnny with a smirk on his face the next morning. His smile grows when he realizes her petite arms are wrapped around his chest and her cheek is pressed to his back, enveloping him in a spooning embrace. He traces his fingers down the length of her arms before entwining their fingers together by his abdomen. Giving her fingers a gentle squeeze, he sighs deeply. Behind him, she begins to stir as she rubs her face against his back. He knows she's awake now, so he whispers, "Good morning," in a chipper voice.

"Morning," she responds drowsily, fighting off her last remnants of slumber. She tightens her arms across his midriff in what she hopes is a hug. "You're in a good mood," she notes.

"Mmm hmm, because you're still here," he confesses, sighing contently. She plants a kiss on his back and her hands move up to caress his hair. "You're giving me a scalp massage?"

She presses another smooch to his shoulder blade and responds with, "Did you want one?" Not really waiting for an answer, she scrapes her fingers through his hair and he barely manages to suppress a moan. She giggles softly. "Are you enjoying yourself?" she teases as her hands caress his chest.

He allows her to continue her ministrations for a moment longer before he turns around and comes nose to nose with her. "You're a tease, you know that?" he comments, stroking her face with his hand.

"Is that what it's called nowadays?" she quips in return. "I wasn't aware of this."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm hmm," Sonya hums. Johnny grabs one of her legs and pulls her closer to him by her bottom. She tilts her head back, giving him access to breathe kisses into her neck. She knows he can feel her dampness through the thin fabric of her sleep shorts and he knows she can feel his bludgeoning desire pressing oh, so close to her core.

They hadn't mutually discussed taking their relationship to the next level yet, but the idea has been floating around their heads for a long time. Both neither can nor want to fight the sexual tension they'd built up with each other in the two years they've known each other, especially the build from the last few months.

His breathing becomes more ragged and her heartbeat hastens in her throat. "What's stopping me right now?" he murmurs in her ear as she wraps her hands around his neck.

And in that moment, she's suddenly thankful to Sergeant Sandy for dragging her to the waxing parlor. "Absolutely nothing," she responds. Shortly after her declaration, their lips meet in a desperate bid to one-up the other. Their last bit of clothes could not come off any faster; their hands could not cover each other's skin in enough sensual touches.

Johnny lowers himself down Sonya's body, his lips finding their way around a perky, smooth nipple. She grabs a fistful of his hair as her leg creeps up the side of his body, trying to find a way to latch onto his shoulder. "Impatient, are we?" he grumbles, causing a wave of pleasure to jolt through her body. Her leg finds his shoulder and she moans when he straightens it by his chest. "Tell me what you want, hon," he commands, releasing her nipple with a noisy _pop_.

"I want you, baby," she groans. Her heart skips a beat when he lifts her other leg, securing both in his hands.

"That's what I like to hear," he tells her.

When he runs his tongue down the length of her and bites gently on her center, she whimpers, "Holy fuck," as he thinks it. _His tongue is so warm and soft and… ooh, that's a new feeling_ , she muses as she jolts from him licking a spot.

 _Holy fuck, she tastes amazing and clean and… okay, what did I just do to her? Because she shook hard… oh wait, maybe I should do that again_ , he coaches himself internally. She presses his head against her harder and he takes the hint by capturing her clit in his mouth and sucking on it hard.

"Oh, God Johnny," she whispers as she begins quivering in his arms. Two fingers enter her and she bucks her hips against his face wildly. "Fuck yes," she moans into the air.

"Mmm hmm," he hums on her, drawing her closer to the edge. He removes his lips and gives her a smoldering look. She blinks at him, awaiting his next move. He takes the opportunity to retract his fingers and crawl up her body, biting kisses on her jaw and into her mouth as she moans desperately. "Once I start, there's no going back," he warns her playfully as he rubs his member just outside her entrance.

"Why are you still talking?" she demands breathlessly, tugging his hair semi-painfully.

"Major pain in the ass," he mutters as he plunges into her and he hears her groan and shudder loudly, unable to form coherent thoughts. As he slowly but roughly thrusts into her, he adds, "You were saying?"

"Shh… shh… shut up, you," she manages to stutter as she matches his movements. She finally flips them over so she's on top. She sits up and rocks her hips back and forth while lightly bouncing on him. "Plus, I prefer it this way."

 _Mean mini military major_ , he thinks affectionately. "And I prefer you closer to me," he tells her, pulling her down to his level and kissing her soundly on the lips. She rests her head on his shoulder and they continue to move in sync. As they reach their peak together, he nibbles her neck again and groans, "Shit," deep into his chest.

Sonya shouts Johnny's name into the pillow behind him as she struggles to come down from her high. She bites his shoulder and he slaps her butt in return, causing her to yelp. "You little shit," she laughs.

"You started it," he reminds her as he squeezes her hips, digging his fingernails into her skin.

"And I'll finish it, too," she murmurs as she grabs his face with her hands and kisses him.

"I'm sure you will," he concedes through smooches. She shifts off him and he wraps his arms around her waist. Burying his face in her neck, he breathes deeply and remarks, "You smell amazing, by the way."

She genuinely smiles at him. "Thanks. My scent is called 'having a shower'," she jokes and he laughs at her.

"With a hint of cherry," he adds as he licks her neck and makes her hiss. "Oops?" he quips sarcastically.

"You'll pay for that," she responds, rubbing her hips against his pelvis.

"Ooh," he taunts, "don't start something you can't finish, babe."

"Who says I can't? I'm giving you time to rest because you couldn't handle a second round with me," she mocks him, pressing her back against his chest.

"Oh, really now? Because I'm ready," he tells her, slipping into her from behind. She throws her head back and moans loudly. "That's what I thought," he jeers.

"Shut up, John," she scolds him.

* * *

The two finally make it out of bed in the afternoon, only for Sonya to cheekily remark, "We should be conserving water," when Johnny tells her he's going to shower. As a result, it takes them another hour and a half to put themselves together.

Dressed and dried, he watches as she brushes through her long golden locks while sitting on his bed. She feels his eyes on her and turns to him. "What?" she questions lightly with a smile.

"You were afraid it wouldn't grow back," he answers.

Looking down, she notices the true length of her hair; it falls past her breasts down to the bottom of her ribs. "Oh, yeah," she remembers with a chuckle. "My future kid will hate me, especially if I have a kid who prefers short hair."

Eyes widening at her statement, he laughs as he sits next to her on his bed. "Why do you say that?"

She pulls her hair back before handing him the brush. "Because my hair grows like garden weeds," she replies, rolling her eyes. He smirks and starts brushing her hair gently. "I remember once Danny cut my hair unevenly because he was mad at me for stealing his cupcake."

"That's a punishable offense there, Sonya," he agrees.

"Shush. Anyway, my dad had to cut my hair so it was even again, but he cut it short because I couldn't stop fidgeting. When he was finished, it went from down my back to right by my chin."

"That's a lot of hair," he sympathizes, placing the brush next to them on the bed.

"Yeah, but a couple of months later, it already grew back to about here," she explains, placing her hand right above her chest. "Dad used to call me Rapunzel."

"Understandable. So, you like your hair longer then, huh?" Johnny asks her.

Sonya uses her fingers to give her hair some volume. "Yeah, but it becomes a pain in the ass once it's a certain length, but I also don't like many people playing with it."

"You let me touch it," he responds as he twirls the ends of her hair.

She smiles at him. "You're one of the very few, so be happy. I didn't even let my ex touch it."

"I am. I'm super, crazy flattered," he gloats. He runs his fingers through her hair before gathering it in his hands and preparing a French braid down the length for her. "I must have magic hands because my sister only lets me style her hair as well," he explains as he makes quick work of his fingers. When he gets to the bottom, he takes her hand and makes her pinch the ends. "Let me get an elastic band to close the end," he states as he gets up. He comes back with a clear elastic tie and secures the end of her braid. "There," he finalizes, brushing a tendril behind her ear.

Sonya observes the braid curiously. "Thanks, Johnny." Sitting on his lap, she wraps her legs around his waist and pulls him into a long kiss, snaking her hands around his neck and through his hair.

"Mmm," he moans in his chest, "didn't know you were such a nymphomaniac."

She pulls away and stares into his darkening eyes. "I wasn't lying when I said it's been a while since it's been good. And you happen to be _amazing_."

"Not as incredible as you are though," he confesses with another kiss. "As much as I want to stay in bed with you, I think we should get something to eat," he reluctantly informs her.

She stands up and holds out her hand. "I think you're right. But… we'll come back, right?"

He takes the outstretched hand stands, pulling her close to him. "Of course, we'll do anything you want… but food first because I'm starving."

She laughs and pecks him in the lips. "Deal," she agrees. She jumps, wrapping her long legs around his waist and he carries her out of his apartment, supporting her hips with his arms.

* * *

During the week at her debriefing, Sonya fights to stay awake as Blake drones on about a new weapon dealing group and their movements in Indochina. Sandy nudges her C.O and Sonya snaps straight. "Ugh," Sonya groans.

Sandy smirks knowingly. "Late night at the boyfriend's house?"

"Shh," Sonya shushes her. She blinks another wave of sleepiness away when Blake mentions something about the Red Dragon. "What?!" she blurts, turning everyone's attention to her. Her eyes go wide in shock. "Did you say the Red Dragon?"

Blake folds his arms. "I did. Are you familiar with them, Major?" Her answer is a growl. "All right then—"

"Daegon, Movado, and Hsu Hao are the most prominent members of the mercenary faction," Sonya informs everyone. Standing up, she continues, "They're rivals with the Black Dragon."

"Uh oh," a warrant officer groans, eliciting chuckles from his fellow soldiers. Sonya narrows her eyes at him and he quickly averts his gaze.

"What about the Red Dragon?" she asks Blake.

He strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Well, since you seem to be the most familiar with these mercenary factions…"

"Aww c'mon Blake! Don't give her unit another assignment. Give us a chance!" another major blurts.

Rolling his eyes, Blake continues with, "I need someone trusted enough to infiltrate their faction. Does anyone have someone in their unit to spare?"

Sonya clears her throat as the other commanding officers are at a loss for words. "I may have someone, but convincing him won't be easy."

"Wait! I have someone as well!" one of Sonya's newer rivals' pipes in with. Major Giorgio Valdez glares daggers at Sonya while she returns the sentiment.

Blake sighs, sensing a showdown between the two head strong officers. "Fine. Both of you meet me in my office after this."

"Yeah!" one of his pals encourages him, "sock it to Major Blade."

Sandy stands up and shouts, "Why don't you shut the fuck up!"

"Pierson!" Blake and Sonya reprimand her.

"Uh… sirs, please respectfully shut your mouths," Sandy amends her statement with. Sonya covers her face with her hand and sinks down her seat.

After the meeting, Sonya stops Sandy. "Meet me in my office Pierson," she tells her sternly. Sandy gulps and Sonya stalks away, leaving her (favorite) charge to ruminate over her blatant display of insubordination.

* * *

An intense fight scene Johnny's filming shows him flipping his arch nemesis over his shoulder and onto the floor harshly. Before he could revel in his temporary victory, Johnny lands on next to his co-star when a sweeping kick connects with his ankles. "Cut!" the director shouts happily.

Johnny rolls his eyes and gets up, helping his co-star. "Thanks man," he tells Johnny.

"No problem dude. Great stuff out there," he praises. The younger man smiles and jogs away to his trailer.

Annaliese, the other director comes up to Johnny. "That was amazing, John," she compliments him in a sultry voice (if Johnny hears her tone correctly).

Johnny takes a small step back and grins sheepishly. "Thanks Anna."

Not noticing or considering his slight discomfort, she slowly runs her fingers up his arms, causing an involuntary shiver up his spine. "You know," she starts as his eyes go wide in shock, "despite what the rest of them think, you're very talented. And strong, too."

He chuckles nervously. "Uh, thank you?" He takes another step back.

"How much do you bench press?" she asked him.

Johnny frowns. "I don't really know. I haven't really been keeping count to be totally honest."

"Still sexy," she flirts.

Johnny stares at her. "As my girlfriend says," he blurts. Just then, he receives a text on his phone. "Sorry, I need to take this," he says before turning and walking away from the vixen briskly. With shaking hands, he looks at the text to see Sonya's message: **Can you meet me at the base? I need to speak with you and Kenshi.**

He presses his lips together thoughtfully. He responds: **Do you need me right this second? I'm on set.**

Her answer is immediate: **At your earliest convenience, please.**

 **No problem, Major.**

A few minutes go by before she sends, **Johnny, this is my personal line, no need to be formal honey.**

A smirk gradually makes its way on his face. **Sorry baby, I forgot.**

 **What did I say about calling me baby?** she scolds him.

He laughs out loud, causing both directors to stare at him weirdly. **Well, you said not to call you baby in public. Last time I checked, we were texting.** In another text, he adds: **Aww you called me honey.**

 **You're insufferable, you know that?**

 **You forgot to mention handsome, dashing, daring, sexy, amazing.**

 **You're lucky I've to go to a meeting right now. Let me know when you're free.**

 **Sure thing, sugar** , he responds. Oh, she's going to get him for his comments, he's sure. Looking up from his phone, he sees Annaliese leaning over his phone. He jumps. "Jesus woman!"

"Sorry, I've been trying to get your attention. Mick says you can go now," she lets him know.

With a nod, he makes his way back to his trailer and sits on his chair for a while as he thinks about why Sonya might want him to meet her at the base. He takes a chance and calls her. "Hey," she answers.

"Hi babe. I'm getting ready to leave now. Any reason you wanted me to come by?"

"Mmm hmm, but I'll tell you when you get here," she replies. After a beat of silence, she asks, "How was work?"

He sighs. "My co-director keeps hitting on me and I don't know how to feel about it."

"Not sure you like the attention?"

He rolls his eyes. "Not from her; it's unsolicited and quite frankly a little weird. I'm not used to it." He thinks for a moment before clarifying, "I'm not used to it being unsolicited. I've long given up those bachelor days."

Sonya is silent on the phone for a long while. Then she says, "Oh."

"Sonya—" he starts.

"I know exactly what you're about to say," she predicts. He closes his mouth and waits for her to finish, his heartbeat increasing uncomfortably. "I… you mean a lot to me, you know this already or else I wouldn't be making a fuss over you. I just… I don't know if… I mean." She struggles internally with her thoughts in silence as she hears Johnny's hitched breath in his throat. "I'm terrible at relationships, okay? I don't show much affection unless I'm yelling at you, I don't call regularly, and I… I'm not the greatest at goodbyes. Or breakups."

"Are you the type to drive past a guy's house after the fact?" he jokes lightly. When she goes silent, he frowns. "Babe?"

"I wouldn't have the time to do that… but I _am_ in the military. I can easily plant a GPS on their person," she unabashedly responds. Johnny laughs. "See what I mean?"

"Nah, I get it. A lot of people have unwillingly left your life, so of course I understand why you'd have a problem with it," he explains. She clears her throat awkwardly. "Hey. We can talk more about this in person. In the meantime, I'm on my way to you now."

She sighs. "Okay. Thank you. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Due to being called away to an emergency shortly after she hangs up with him, Sonya doesn't get to meet with Johnny or Kenshi until later in the week in her office.

"All right, long story short… I need you to as an undercover agent somewhere in Indochina. Most likely Thailand," she tells Kenshi as she's sitting on her desk. He's contemplating his next move while Johnny is uncharacteristically silent in her chair. "Uh… Kenshi?"

"I do not mind the location. I'm just curious as to why you have chosen this particular location?" he responds after a few moments of silence.

Sonya folds her arms. "I need you to infiltrate the Red Dragon. Get as much info as you can about them. I'll be damned if I have to chase down another mercenary faction."

Kenshi nods once. "Understood Sonya. Do you have an idea of how long you need me to be there?" She purses her lips before shaking her head. "That is fine with me. Just as long as I am able to call for an extraction if my cover somehow gets blown."

"Absolutely," she agrees. "I know this is a lot I'm asking of you, but I just cannot risk any other threats to the world. While you're tracking them down, my teams and I will be trying to find Quan Chi and the others to restore them to living."

Johnny's blue eyes widen in shock. "So, wait… as long as we find Humpty Dumpty—"

"Who?" Kenshi wonders.

Sonya rolls her eyes. "He means Quan Chi," she clarifies.

"If we find him, there's a way to restore everyone's souls? Is that what you're telling me, babe… uh, Sonya?"

She shrugs. "That's what Raiden told me," she answers.

Johnny strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Can you imagine though? Bringing everyone back I mean? Sub-Zero, Smoke, Liu Kang?"

"Kung Lao, Night Wolf, Scorpion," Kenshi thinks aloud.

"Kitana, Jade," Sonya adds.

"Can't forget them," Johnny agrees.

"And Jax," she says softly, swallowing thickly. The room goes silent. "God, I'd give _anything_ in the world to bring Jax back."

Johnny beckons Sonya to him and she complies, sitting on his lap. He wraps his arms around her waist and squeezes gently. "I know, hon. That's why we're gonna keep going back until we get them all."

"Lest Quan Chi disappears again since Shinnok has no chance of being unlocked from his amulet," Kenshi mentions grimly.

Sonya sighs and buries her head in Johnny's neck. "I just want this to be over already," she complains.

"Soon," Johnny tries to reassure her, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "We'll end this soon enough."

* * *

 **A/N:** Slight cliffhanger, but you'll see where everything starts to tie in with each other. Reviews always read and appreciated as always.


	14. 100 Degrees Centigrade

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, come on, I still don't own it. I'm writing my own stuff while I do this for fun. That stuff and any characters you don't recognize I own.

 **Author's Note:** Brownie points to those who can guess why I named the chapter this way. Enjoy!

100 Degrees Centigrade

* * *

 _Sonya was in Quan Chi's fortress strapped to a slab of chipped marble by leather restraints. She looked to her left to see Jax standing over Johnny twirling a long and thin pole in his metal hands. On her right side, she saw Raiden and the necromancer battling it out with each other. From her angle, the Thunder God was losing terribly. She tried to loosen her wrists from the binds before Sub-Zero shoots another blast of ice in her direction. "Shit!" she moaned, hissing from the freezing temperatures._

" _You are at our mercy!" he informed her in his robotic voice._

" _Oh please, as if Humpty Dumpty has a real say in this!" Johnny mocked. His punishment was a fire ball to his feet, eliciting a blood curdling scream. "Fuck you, Scorpion!"_

 _She cringed at his pain as her heart rate increased rapidly. "Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Jax," she tried reasoning with them again, "this isn't like you. Please, I know you're in there somewhere. Quan Chi is using you!"_

 _Jax stalked over to Sonya. "And Raiden played you like fools!" he yelled at her. She gulped audibly as he raised his arms above his head._

" _Jax, no!" she begged him as her contents of her stomach began to churn uncomfortably. She fought the urge to vomit down as she looked into his red eyes. "Jax," she whispered._

" _You should join us," he says before bringing his arms down…_

Sonya abruptly wakes up at exactly 4:48 am with wide eyes and a grumbling stomach. "Stop," she whispers into the air at her body. The past couple of days have been a nightmare for her. She has never experienced extreme illness in her life until now.

Her stomach doesn't settle down after fifteen minutes of lying completely still; she notices the now familiar feeling of bile rising to her throat and she makes a mad dash to her personal bathroom to empty the little contents of her body for what she feels is the umpteenth time this week. "Fuck," she curses, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her cell rings and she glances at the ID to see Sandy calling her. "Blade," she snaps when she answers the phone.

"Uh… hi? Sorry if I caught you at a bad time. I was just wondering if you spoke to Valdez about my warrant officer training?"

 _Shit._ "I'll let him know in a bit, Sandy," she tells her charge. Her stomach rumbles again and she begs her body to settle down.

Sandy is also quiet on the phone. "Oh," she says softly after a few moments of awkward silence. "I thought I was getting training today, that's all."

Her epiphany hits her like a ton of bricks. "Oh… shit," Sonya moans. "I forgot." Sonya can tell Sandy seems disappointed. "I promise to make it up to you. I'm so sorry."

"Is everything okay, Blade-y?"

Sonya closes her eyes, fighting off another wave of nausea. "Yeah," she lies. She's about to throw up again, so she says, "I gotta go," in a rush. She pushes her head into the toilet bowl once again.

And for the first time in almost ten years, she takes a personal day.

* * *

Hours later in a dressing room inside of a banquet hall, Johnny grunts miserably as he tries to fix the bow tie around his neck. "Piece of shit," he grumbles again as he undoes it and starts over.

"I told you let me help you, Cage," Chuck says, arms folded conceitedly.

"Fuck off, Montgomery," Johnny barks at him. Frustrated, he throws the tie on the floor and steps on it, digging the ball of his foot into the ground. "Why the fuck am I even here?!"

"Because Brian—" Chuck starts.

"Did I _ask_ for your opinion?!" Johnny snaps at him.

Stasi bursts into the room huffing. "If you guys don't shut the fuck up in here!" she yells at them.

"What the hell's got your panties in a bunch, Chambers?"

"The fucking bitch of an expecting mother, that's who!"

Johnny huffs again. Even though she was already legally married, Cindy invited them to the ceremony and reception of her nuptials. "Is it too late to fake being sick? I _am_ pretty convincing," Johnny asks Stasi.

She narrows her eyes at him. "If _I_ have to suffer, then so do you."

"This is stupid," Johnny grouses miserably. Stasi picks up his discarded tie and wraps it around his neck. "Thank you, doll. You're the best."

"I thought Sonya was the best?" she teases him as Chuck grumbles and leaves the room.

Johnny smiles. "She's the best at a lot of things, but you're one of the bests at being a sister."

"Speaking of, how's Becca anyway?"

"She's great. She's livin' her life in San Diego," he explains, smirking at the thought of his little sister and her new family. "Cameron is a handsome little dude. Looks just like his uncle," he brags.

Stasi laughs as she pets the new bow she created. "You plan on giving him cousins to play with?"

Johnny's eyes widen in shock, something she giggles uncontrollably at. "No? I don't know."

"You know, for supposedly dating Sonya, there's a lot about your relationship you're unsure about."

"Uh… I'm not even entirely sure we're even dating, if we're being totally honest," he laments.

Stasi rolls her eyes at Johnny. "Jesus Christ dude. Have you guys even talked?"

He snorts as he fusses with his hair. "If by talk you mean have sex, then yeah, we did _a lot_ of talking."

She stops applying lip gloss long enough to cast a scathing look at him through the mirror. "Oh, my God. I could've done without the image, bro."

He laughs at her incensed face. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. No, but seriously, we're just… it's weird. We're exclusive in the sense that I'm not dating anyone else but her and she's not dating anyone else but me. Other than that, I… well, I _want_ to make her my wife eventually, but I'm not entirely sure how well it'll play out.

"I tried the whole marriage thing once before," he continues as she sits down and listens intently. "Look how well that worked out. And if Cindy wants to give it another shot with someone else, then that's her prerogative. But me? I'm not sure I'm ready for a second round of do-si-do around the nuptial bush."

"And yet, you know enough to wanna risk it with her. I think it says a lot about how you feel," she reminds him.

He shrugs. "Yeah, true," he concedes. "What do you think I should do?"

"Be honest with her. Tell her what you want. But you also should take into consideration that she might not take you up on your offer," she warns him.

He nods. "Yeah I know. So, just tell her how I feel but you know, no pressure," he clarifies.

She nods in response. "Exactly."

* * *

Sonya's personal day turns into a personal week with Blake giving her another week off from her duties, so she finds herself sneaking into his condo on a brisk Tuesday in early March. She walks around his condo wearing his favorite Terry cloth robe until she falls asleep on his couch.

A few hours later, Johnny returns home to see a pair of legs kicked up on his couch. His defenses immediately go up and sparks his glowing fists; he's had random fans breaking into his home before, so he's not taking any chances. She hears his breathing and goes for her desert eagle on his dresser, pointing it at his head without sitting up. "State your business," she growls.

"State yours first!" he yells.

She sits up and lowers her weapon. "Oops?" she squeaks.

" _Sonya_?!"

"Hi Johnny!" she greets him excitedly, finally sitting up to see his confused and angry face. "Sorry," she adds.

The glow around his fists disappears and he lowers his arms. "Nice to see you too, honey," he mumbles, rubbing his face.

She stands up and wraps her arms around his neck. "Sorry I scared you. I thought someone was breaking in."

Unable to stay mad at her, he hugs her waist and lifts her gently from the floor. "That's okay, babe. Glad to know you're ready to protect me from any threats."

They let go and she sits back on the couch, scooting over and putting her legs in his lap. "It's part of my job."

"Oh yeah?" he jokes. His smile falls flat. "Oh, right…" he sobers up.

She scoots closer to him and kisses his neck. "Nobody gets past Johnny Cage unless they're ready to deal with Major Blade," she says, snuggling closer to him. He strokes her hair tenderly with a pensive look on his face. "What's on your mind?"

"You," is his simple answer. She looks up at him. "Well, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while," he starts.

"Uh oh," she mumbles.

"Hush. Anyway, I was wondering if you want to make us official?"

She stares at him with a goofy grin on her face. "Do you have to ask?"

He looks down at her and smirks. "What do you think?"

She climbs into his lap, straddling him. "Sure, I'll be your girlfriend. But don't get crazy," she warns him.

He laughs. "Says the woman sitting on _my_ lap." She closes the distance between them with a kiss. He pulls her closer before twisting them around so he's on top of her. "Not that I mind," he adds between kisses. "Because I missed you."

She moans and rubs herself against him. "I missed you, too." Before they can get into it, she feels her stomach lurch and she springs up from the couch, accidentally head butting him. "Ouch, fuck," she groans for more than one reason. Without explaining herself, she runs into his bathroom and throws up again.

Alarmed, Johnny stands by the door and knocks softly. "Baby?"

"Don't call me that!" she berates him before throwing up some more. He raises an eyebrow at her. "Sorry, I've been feeling weird lately."

He pauses. "Do… do you wanna talk about it?" he asks carefully.

She sighs. "It's nothing. Sandy took me to some restaurant and I don't think the food agreed with me very much."

"Want me to sue them?" he asks, laughing softly. When she doesn't respond, he clears his throat and says, "Sorry, I shouldn't joke like that. Want me to make you some tea?"

"Please," she moans from his bathroom.

* * *

Sonya comes back to the base facing a multitude of paperwork on her desk ready to be filled out. "For fuck's sake!" she complains as she grabs the top folder and begins to skim through it. It turns out to be her final paperwork needing to be done before she takes another trip to the Netherrealm. They're so close, _so_ close to finding Quan Chi and bringing him to justice. _And bringing Jax back to Vera_ , she thinks to herself.

She and Vera formed a kindship as they both mourned the loss of a best friend and husband respectively. Having been afraid of getting her hopes up just to dash them, Sonya kept the prospect of being able to resurrect Jax a secret from Vera until she was sure she was able to fully bring him back home.

She comes back to Earth when someone knocks at her door. "Enter," she tells the person. Sandy walks in accompanied by Major Valdez. "Oh, shit, I forgot about your training again!" she whines, slapping a hand over her face in embarrassment.

"That's okay. I have all the paperwork now," Valdez informs her as he hands her a thick folder. "You think you can get it back to me by the end of today?"

Sonya growls lowly as she snatches the folder from him. "I'll try, only because it's for Pierson, not for you," she tells him nastily. Slamming the papers on her desk, she rubs her temples in a circular motion. After a few minutes, she sees the two still in her office. "Anything else, Valdez?" She snaps, trying to fight her unreasonable anger down.

Sandy blinks at her C.O. "N-no Blade-y… I mean Major," Sandy answers her obediently.

"Fine. You're dismissed Valdez. I still need to speak with you, Pierson," she says and narrows her eyes after Valdez leaves her office. "Ugh, he's such a Goddamn know it all prick!"

"But he's nice!" Sandy defends him. Sonya squints at her charge. "Sonya, what's gotten into you?"

Sonya gapes at the usage of her name by Sandy. "I… what do you mean?"

Sandy sits in the chair opposite Sonya and places her elbow on the desk. "You've been extra snippy with people lately. I can understand you being nasty to Blake, or Richardson, or maybe even Valdez to a certain extent. But why _me_?"

Sonya blinks back tears. There's a first. "I don't really know," she answers after a long pause. "I'm just… I'm worried about not being able to end the war with the other realms, I guess."

"The pressure of bringing your friends home alive is getting to you, huh?" Sandy asks gently. Sonya nods. "I guess I can understand that. But I feel like there's something else. Is everything okay with you and Johnny?"

Sonya nods again. "Yeah, everything is great though I've been kinda short with him as well. He understands."

Sandy frowns and takes a seat across from Sonya. "Then… shit, I don't know what else. Unless…" Sandy taps her chin thoughtfully, staring at Sonya. Sonya doesn't notice her pointed stare until she looks up from her papers. She raises an eyebrow at Sandy. "Um… are you on birth control?"

Sonya's eyes go wide as she drops her pen in shock. "Have you lost your actual fucking _mind_ , woman?!"

"That's not answering my question, Blade-y," Sandy teases. Sonya growls. "Are you?"

"I know what you're trying to insinuate Cassandra. The answer is no."

"Pfft, you don't know what I was trying to insinuate," Sandy defends herself. Sonya narrows her eyes. "Okay, okay, maybe I was. It's the only other explanation I could think of, okay? Mood swings and irritability," Sandy starts.

"I'm almost always cranky. People are fucking incompetent, all right?"

"Crazy cravings at the most inconvenient of times," Sandy continues.

"I do not!" Sonya squawks.

"And getting sick suddenly when I _know_ you have a stomach of virtual steel," she finishes.

Sonya growls again. "That stupid Chinese buffet you took me to sucked!"

Sandy gasps. "It does _not_ suck!" she yelps defensively. Sonya rolls her eyes and signs off on a document. "And plus, I thought you hated bananas! And oranges! Since when would you ever drink a banana orange smoothie?"

Sonya pauses. "I," Sonya begins before closing her mouth. "Fuck," she mumbles. Sandy hitches an eyebrow in return. "I'm not because you're missing the most vital tell-tale sign."

"Oh yeah? Because we accidentally synced up. I'm on my period. What's your excuse?"

Sonya's heart sinks to the floor of her stomach. "I… it's… it's on its way," she says pitifully. _It is_ , she reasons internally. "Sometimes my period comes late due to stress. I mean… my friends are still stuck in the Netherrealm! My best friend, Sandy, is not himself in another realm. Don't you think I have a reason to stress? Because it's the biggest source of my stress."

Sandy sighs. "I know, I know," she concedes. Sonya folds her arms and leans back in her chair. Sandy puts her head down. "I know you're older and my commanding officer and stuff, but I still worry about you. I just wanna make sure you're okay."

Sonya leans forward and pats Sandy's hand gently. "I know. And thank you, I appreciate it." A few moments of silence pass them. Then, "I won't forget about your training this time, I swear. I need to finish this paperwork first."

"No problem. Just know it's not me rushing you. It's Valdez," Sandy tells her. Sonya growls once more. "Will you calm down, Blade?"

"He's such a—" Sonya starts before Sandy gives her a death glare. "Fine. Only because you have a crush on him."

It's Sandy's turn to look scandalized. "I do _not_!" she squeaks. Sonya snickers evilly. "I… he's nice to me, okay?"

"Sandy has a crush!" Sonya sing songs. Sandy blushes and covers her face. "Okay, you're dismissed now. I need to finish my paperwork."

"Yeah, if I have a crush on Valdez, then you're having _the_ Johnny Cage's love child," she rebukes as she struts to the door. Sonya narrowly misses hitting Sandy with her tin pencil case. "I love you, too!" Sandy teases from the other side of the door.

"Brat," she complains affectionately.

* * *

In Johnny's condo, Sonya sneaks out of bed and tiptoes into his kitchen. She opens his fridge and finds a container of strawberries and a can of whipped cream. Squealing softly with glee, she grabs the whipped cream and sprays an obscene amount into her mouth. "Oh, my God," she mumbled in relief after swallowing. "Wow, that's tasty," she says as she sprays some more into her mouth.

Unbeknownst to her, Johnny is watching her with an amused smirk on his face and his arms folded. Cutting her fun short, he whistles softly but sharply. She freezes, whipped cream crammed in her mouth and dripping down her chin. She turns to him with what she thinks is a sheepish grin on her face. "Having fun?" She struggles to come up with a rebuttal while trying to finish her mouthful. "Slowly Sonya. Don't choke woman."

He laughs as she's struggling to finish. When she finally does, she snaps, "Oh, shut up!" Unfortunately, some remnants enter her windpipe and she begins coughing uncontrollably. "It was tasty," she rasps.

He lightly rubs her back while shaking his head. "I'm sure it was, babe," he soothes. Taking the container of strawberries from her, he closes the fridge and leads her to the island counters to sit. "I bought that whipped cream for a different reason, but your way works too."

"Pervert," she mutters, clearing her throat.

"Says the naughty vixen who suggested it in the first place," he teases.

Sonya glares at him with a smirk on her face. "I said I wanted to eat it," she reasons.

"Yeah, off my body," he jokes. She pinches him. "Ow! You're such a mean military major!"

"And you're a major pain in the ass," she retorts.

He busts up laughing while pulling her closer. "Aww c'mon babe, I'm just kidding. You do what you want with it."

Sonya rolls her eyes and says, "No duh."

He shakes his head playfully at her. "Why the sudden sweet tooth though?" She shrugs and sprays the remainder of the whipped cream into her mouth. "I'm not judging, I'm just curious. First stealing my milkshake, then practically breaking into my house for ice cream—"

"I told you I misplaced my key!" she defends herself.

"Hush babe, I'm not judging. I'm genuinely curious," he finishes.

She shrugs again. "I really don't know… it's been weird lately. I usually get a sweet tooth when I'm stressed out."

He shrugs, accepting the answer. "Stressed spelled backwards _is_ desserts, so I guess I can see that." They're both quiet for a long while, the sound of the ocean serving as their white noise. Then Johnny asks, "I'm not sure how ready I am to go back to the Netherrealm."

She shudders. "Don't remind me," she moans as she covers her eyes. He pulls her closer and hugs her. "I've had these awful nightmares about what could possibly happen." She feels him tense up slightly. "I'm sorry. I don't want to put the negative energy into the universe. But I'm genuinely scared. Can you blame me?"

"What, blame you for being human?" he inquires. She nods against him. "Honey, of course you're allowed to be scared. This thing is so much bigger than us. The war that is," he tells her grimly.

She sighs. "I know. I really want to punch him."

"Humpty Dumpty, right?"

She laughs despite herself. "You're an idiot," she giggles while slapping his leg. He stands up and holds out his hand for her to take, which she does. When she's standing, he pulls her closer to him and breathes in her scent. "I'm still scared," she mumbles into his robe.

"I know, babe," he soothes. "I am, too."

"We're going back on Thursday," she informs him, hugging him around his waist. "I don't want to lose you."

Knowing (or thinking he knows) her statement was as close to hearing her admit any feelings for him, he squeezes her tighter. "I don't want us to lose each other."

* * *

 **A/N:** Aaaaannnnddddddddddddd cue Sonya's flashback scene when they finally, _finally_ release Jax, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero from Quan Chi's control. How will any of them deal with three out of many of the fighters back to their normal selves? Read, review, and stay tuned as always.


	15. When One Door Closes

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it. Thanks.

 **Author's Note:** Just a couple of things: If Sonya seems a bit (okay, _really_ ) out of character, it's intended. She _knows_ she's acting out of character, but that's because everything happening to her have also been out of character in her eyes. So, if you try to tell/ask me why she's out of character, it's because you haven't read between the lines. Also, if there are any discrepancies about how procedures and ceremonies in the military, I apologize. I tried to make it as authentic as possible and I will gladly accept any constructive criticism regarding it. I wouldn't try to butcher it on purpose. With that said, please enjoy!

* * *

 **When One Door Closes**

After signing her official paperwork, Sonya offers herself as Johnny's personal escort, bringing him to his condo. She opens the door and leads him to the couch. "Thanks hon," are Johnny's first and only words since they returned from the Netherrealm. An unsettling silence occurs between them as Sonya twiddles her thumbs idly. Johnny clears his throat but doesn't follow up with any sort of remark for a few minutes. Then, "At least we got Jax back."

And Sonya bursts into tears, leaning her head against Johnny. She buries herself in the crook of his neck and sobs. He wraps his arms around her in an instant. After an hour or so, she finally calms down enough to form coherent sentences. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she says, "We did get him back. But at what price?"

He doesn't have an answer to this question. Instead, he holds her tighter. "I'm really sorry, babe."

"Me, too," she replies.

Later that night as they're on the verge of making love to each other, as his hands tenderly touch her in places that sets her soul ablaze, she weeps some more. Because of her unpleasant thoughts, she doesn't think she deserves him or the way he cares for her.

So, when it's just past dawn and the sun slowly creeps up the sky, she leaves his condo for what she feels is possibly the last time in her life. And for the first time in a long while, Johnny wakes up to cold sheets and an absent Sonya.

* * *

Three weeks after reviving the three survivors, Sonya receives orders from her commanding officers not to go back into the Netherrealm and instead focus their energy on finding and bringing down the two opposing mercenary factions. The thought causes her to roll her eyes, but she obliges for the time being. She opens one of her desk drawers and her eyes immediately land on a newly framed picture of her and Johnny. A breath hitches in her throat. She gingerly touches the photo; she's on his back and her arms are around his shoulders as his laughing face is looking straight at hers.

" _Wait, I'm slipping!" she laughed as she struggled to stay on him. Johnny lifted her, securing his hands on her lower thighs. "I'm literally going to fall, Cage."_

 _Stasi giggled as she held the camera. "Okay, say cheese!"_

" _Noodles," Sonya responded instead, causing Johnny's uproarious laughter to be frozen in time._

Several knocks on the door snap Sonya out of her reverie. Shoving the drawer shut, she answers with a defeated, "You may enter."

She sighs as Major Valdez enters her office accompanied by a young boy of about seven years old. "Major? Someone wants to see you," he tells her softly as the little boy shrinks behind the commanding officer. "Come on buddy," he coaxes the boy gently, _almost fatherly_ she notes to herself.

"Hey kiddo," she greets him. The boy perks up and walks closer to her. She smiles gently. "Did you come to help me with my paperwork?" she teases lightly. He giggles, shaking his head as his curly black hair bounces around his face.

"What do we say to the nice woman?" Valdez says to the boy, something Sonya hitches an eyebrow at.

"Thank you, Miss Major," he mumbles shyly.

Her heart melts at the appreciation. "For what, may I ask?"

"For saving my papa," he tells her. He grins at her, showing off his teeth. She returns the smile, albeit a little tense around the edges. Her mind immediately flashes back to Quan Chi's fortress when revenant Sub-Zero hurled an ice ball at the officers, freezing them instantly. It took quite some effort, but Raiden thawed them out safely.

She blinks back a wave of tears. "It wasn't a problem… uh, what's your name?"

"His name's Enrique," Valdez tells her.

She stands up and faces him. "It's nice to meet you, Enrique. I'm Sonya," she replies, holding her hand out for him to shake. Instead, Enrique wraps his arms around her waist in a hug. "Oh," she gasps, taken aback by the action. When he pulls back, he waves at her and leaves the office. "Cute kid," she compliments him with a nod.

Valdez nods in agreement. "I agree. He looks more like his mom." There are a few moments of silence before he speaks again. "Uh, Blake also told me to give you this even though you're technically not my C.O." He hands her an envelope and clears his throat.

She takes the envelope from him and stares in disbelief. "Are you… are you resigning from SF?"

"It's time I did anyway," he tells her. She places the letter on her desk and folds her arms. "I'm not necessarily scared of dying if it means protecting my country. But… that last mission… that was frightening." Sonya raises an eyebrow at him. "You ever been frostbitten?"

"Nope, can't say that I have," she answers coolly.

"Good. I know you and I haven't been on the greatest of terms, but I wouldn't even wish this on my worst enemy."

"You considered me an enemy?"

Valdez sighs. "Not really. More of a… a hindrance. Look, you got to be buddies with Blake. Got to know the ins and outs of operation on a personal level." Sonya huffs silently. If only he knew _how_ personal. "I didn't really get that kind of training from anyone since I've been in. And now… I might not even get the chance to do so."

"You don't need to quit because of this past mission," Sonya tries to assure him.

Valdez chuckles humorlessly and lifts his left pant leg. From his shin to his patella, his leg was covered in bruises resembling moldy patches. Sonya's eyes go wide in shock. "Yeah, I think I _do_ need to quit."

"You won't even wait for a discharge? I mean, I can get you a clean break like an honorary discharge or _some_ thing."

He shrugs. "It doesn't really matter anymore. My crew have either perished recently or left. It's time for a change for me. Plus, I'm not sure who they've got lined up as a replacement for Blake—"

"Blake is leaving?"

Valdez purses his lips. "I've said too much. I gotta go. You take care, Major Blade." He turns on his heel and leaves her office, leaving her to contemplate what's next.

Good thing Valdez narrowly misses the two fat trails of tears falling down her cheeks.

* * *

Johnny is at home idly throwing a piece of balled up paper in the air and catching it while lying on his back. After a few throws, it gets lost behind his bed. "Shit," he curses. He's never been so bored in his life, but for the first time in a long time, he has no movie projects lined up. And since Sonya practically ditched him, he can't (or won't) go down to the base to help or anything. So, he's left with his wandering thoughts again. _Does she hate me? Is she scared I'm going to leave her? Or scared if I_ _ **don't**_ _leave? Did_ _ **I**_ _scare her away?_

Every time his phone rang since their mission, his heart jumped happily until it sank again after realizing it wasn't her on the other end. He eventually gave up and went about his life, as unexciting as it currently is.

His cell rings and he correctly guesses Stasi when wondering who's calling. "Johnny Cage," he answers after a pause.

"Oh, my, God!" she squeals. He holds the phone away from his ear until he's sure she's done busting his eardrums. "Guess who gets to do a movie with each other?!"

Johnny shrugs. "Beats me," he answers dully.

He's sure Stasi rolled her eyes at him. "Jesus, could you be any less enthused? You and me Johnny! _We_ get to do a movie together! I'm so freaking excited!"

"I'm not working with Brian again," Johnny gripes.

Stasi growls lowly at him. "Again, your lack of enthusiasm kills me. No, we will not be working with stupid Brian; he's been replaced by someone even more awesome than he… well, awesome in directing at least." They go silent for a while. She pipes up with, "So, ya gonna let me in or not? I'm downstairs."

With a resigned sigh, he gets up from his bed and buzzes her in. She walks in and he's sure she has a sassy remark about the upkeep of his place, so he intervenes with, "Don't lecture me," before she can.

She gives him a wry look. "On what, your wallowing in your misery?"

He closes his eyes and counts to ten in his head before speaking again. "I haven't been in the mood to do anything lately."

She plops down on his couch and folds her arms. "What's wrong? I've never seen you so down before. You haven't been your usual self since that mission. What happened to you guys?"

"Depends. You want the long story or the short story?"

"Humor me," is her emotionless response.

"Basically, Sonya ditched me," he blurts. Stasi's mouth drops open in shock. "Okay fine, long story it is," he mutters before telling her everything that's been happening, from him almost dying and turning into a revenant to Sonya's sudden cold shoulder. "I haven't heard from her since, so I just gave her what I thought she wanted and I left her alone. I haven't stalked her at the base, I haven't hung around her places. Hell, I even went as far as to avoid her friend Sandy or whatever because I knew she'd automatically go back to Sonya about it."

"Sounds like things got too real for her," she tells him. He sighs resignedly. She shrugs in response. "Sorry but it's true. I don't know what her history with her exes are, but I'm pretty sure you've been the best you could've been for her. And for her to run away like that… that's cowardly for someone who's supposedly a military bad ass.

"And before you defend her," Stasi continues when Johnny opens his mouth for his rebuttal, "I know you want to carry a torch for her, but truly? There _are_ other fish in the sea."

"I want _that_ fish," he pouts petulantly. She shakes her head at him. "But no, I'm not gonna force her as I've said before. I can't make her want me. And to be honest, I'm done being the one to reach out first. If she contacts me first I won't shut her down, but I can't do all the work. I've made my feelings clear to her."

Hearing him practically throw in the towel makes Stasi realize something. "You're totally not finished with her. I don't think your story with each other has ended. Hell, I think it's only just begun. For her sake, I really hope something outrageous came up which caused her to ditch you. I really truly want to believe that."

"I know," he begrudgingly agrees. He tries to perk up. "So, what's this new movie we're doing?"

Her excitement is reinvigorated by the mention. "Okay! So, me, you, and _Time Smashers_. How does that sound? I'm co-producer?"

He gives her a side hug. "That actually sounds amazing. I can't wait."

In the back of his mind though, he wonders what Sonya is going through.

* * *

"My head is throbbing," she grouses miserably on her couch in her office as Sandy spins around in her swivel chair. "Would you stop that, Pierson?!" she snaps at the younger woman. Sandy slows down her spinning and narrows her eyes at her commanding officer. "You're literally making my headache worse. Please stop," she just about begs.

Sandy stops completely and faces Sonya on the couch. "Sorry, Major," she finally apologizes. There's a beat of silence before Sandy asks her the dreaded question: "Did you get the results?"

Sonya closes her eyes. "Yes."

"And?" Sandy gently prods.

"You want me to say it?" Sonya snaps bitterly. Sandy glares at Sonya again. "You were right," she whimpers pathetically, trying to force hot tears back. "Everything will change."

Sandy sighs. "It doesn't have to, Sonya," she reassures her friend. Sonya scoffs indignantly. "I'm serious! Hell, I'm sure Johnny would be ecstatic by the news and he'll—"

"I'm not telling him," she blurts.

The gum Sandy had been chewing falls out of her mouth and on the carpet. "Sonya… don't do that."

"Don't do what? Because I won't. I'm not telling him. Please don't ask me to change my mind."

Sandy picks up her discarded wad of gum and chucks it in the garbage. "It wouldn't be fair of you to deny him the right."

"Oh please!" Sonya barks as she sits up in a rush, her washcloth abandoned on the couch. "As if he'd really give up his career! Because I'm not giving up my career for this… temporary roadblock."

"Sonya!" Sandy yelps. Her loud voice causes Sonya to moan in pain again as she holds her head. "Wha… you actually called your future child a temporary roadblock? That's heartless, even for you." And Sonya bursts into tears, causing Sandy's face to fall. "I didn't mean to yell, Blade-y," she says meekly, hanging her head low. "Please don't cry."

After a few moments, Sonya finally calms down enough to say, "I didn't mean it like that. I just mean… what am I supposed to do, Sandy? I can't afford to bring another human being into the world, into _this_ crazy, shitty, fucked up world where I've got a psychotic necromancer going around and making people his undead slaves. I just can't!"

Though feeling sorry for her commanding officer's plight, Sandy starts, "Well, I hate to be _that_ person but—"

"I know, we should've been more careful, blah, blah, blah. Thanks Mom, your obvious display of blatant-ism is noted," Sonya finishes the thought bitterly while Sandy rolls her eyes. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," she chants repeatedly. "Fuck, I'm a goddamn fucking dumb ass. I get pregnant by the _one_ person I never thought I'd have given a second glance at, let alone fucked… repeatedly. God, even Blake would've been a marginally better choice than him."

"Ew, Blake? Why would you… ew," Sandy shudders. She looks up at Sonya and her blue eyes go wide. "Oh, my God, you've fucked Blake before?! Sonya… ew!"

"Shut up, Cassandra, I have enough guilt on my plate, thank you very much!"

Sandy closes her mouth ruefully, giving Sonya a shriveled stare. "I," Sandy starts. "I'm sorry you're going through this Sonya."

"Look, I don't mean to be short with you. You're one of the few friends I have in the world, okay?" Sonya tells Sandy. With great mental difficulty, Sonya walks over to Sandy and kneels before her. "I don't want to lose you either. But I just… I don't want you continually stating the obvious. I made a mistake. I wasn't careful enough. And I'm paying for it now. I think the universe is already hailing itself for its massive 'hey fuck you I told you so' to me. I really don't want to hear any more of it. Please, I'm begging you. I just need a friend now, all right?"

Sandy sighs, slinking out of the chair and sitting Indian style across from Sonya. "Okay. You have me as your friend. You also have your friend Jax, don't you?"

 _Oh shit, Jax!_ Sonya thinks to herself. "Oh, my God," she wails. She grabs her garbage can and throws up her stomach's contents in it as Sandy cringes. She wipes the back of her mouth and moans. "He doesn't even know we've been in contact, let alone had sex so unprotected he's going to be a Godfather. I can see this happening: 'Hey Jax, so in the two years you've been a revenant, I've become friends with, fallen for, and gotten pregnant by the showboat actor you hated and punched in the nose. Now you gotta make nice with him for our child's sake', I'd tell him. What the shit? What the _actual_ shit. Jax will rip his fucking balls off, Jesus fucking Christ."

Sandy pets Sonya's head. "I'm sure things will be okay, Blade-y. I like to try to have hope sometimes, all right? But honestly, I don't think you should hide this from Johnny. Tell him. Let him decide how to proceed, that is… if you even plan on keeping it."

Sonya had already made the decision when the nurse at the base infirmary confirmed her news a week ago. "I'm keeping it. It's my responsibility."

"It's his responsibility as well. It takes two to tango, you know."

"I know."

"So… you should tell him. Well… wait a while after the retirement ceremony for Jax on Thursday. Then tell him."

Sonya swallows uneasily. "All right. I'll do that."

"Good."

* * *

On the set of _Time Smashers_ , He walks onto the spaceship set lot, looking around with wide and impressed blue eyes. "Holy shit Stasi, you went all out, huh?" Johnny compliments his friend.

"Mmm hmm," Stasi hums affirmatively, "I wanted nothing but the best for me and my pal." She snakes one petite arm around his shoulder and squeezes platonically. "Look at this beauty. I expect this baby to be a hit, okay?"

"And it will be," he promises. "Great set, fantastic cast, amazing crew. Now all we need is a competent and passionate director."

"Oh, I got your competent director all right," her voice cuts through the air like a butcher knife. Johnny spins around to see Sara folding her arms with a copy of the script peeking out from the folds. "What the _hell_ is he doing here?"

" _Me_? What about _you_?!" Johnny snaps at her. He rounds on Stasi. "Anastasia… you have sixty seconds to explain yourself. Go."

Stasi's eyes widen at her full name being called out by Johnny no less. His eyes twitch and she chances a look at Sara who's smirking at the display. "I… I… wait, no, no, no, you are _not_ gonna do that to me, Dunham! You will _not_ pit my best friend against me, you wicked witch of the land of 'I can't get over my boyfriend, he ditched me for some military bitch even though said military woman is the love of his life'!" Stasi stomps her foot petulantly. "I didn't ask for you, Sara!"

"Well, _I'm_ the person you've got, so deal with it. _Him_ on the other hand," she growls, pointing her finger at Johnny.

Stasi stands between Johnny and Sara. "Oh no you don't! _I_ asked for Johnny, so _he's_ the person you've got. Deal with it, bitch!"

"Don't call me a bitch, intergalactic slut!" Sara screams as she shoves Stasi roughly into Johnny, who catches her in his arms.

"Fuck you, FUCK YOU!" Stasi shoves Sara back, knocking her to the floor.

Johnny steps between the two women before they can launch into a full-on cat fight. "Stop! Both of you!" he yells at them. Shrinking like children, Stasi lowers her head while Sara defiantly folds her arms again. "Stasi—"

"I didn't know she'd be the director, I swear!" she defends herself, on the verge of tears.

He turns to Sara. "And you?"

She scoffs. "They told me I had to deal with the actors I got if I took on this project. I didn't think it'd be any of _you_ two."

"Like I said, deal with it bitch!"

"Do not call me a bitch!"

"Well, I'm not a slut, so shut your filthy whoring mouth!"

"Says the one who worked at the bunny ranch!"

Stasi gasps. "Take it back!"

Johnny steps in between them again. "What did I just tell you ladies?! Stop!" They stop bickering and glare at each other again. "Look, we all don't have the greatest history with each other regarding our love lives, I get that. But our professional lives are thriving. And with our skills, this has the potential to be one of the best projects I've ever worked on. Hell, maybe I'll get back into the good graces of my fans."

"Yeah, all five of them," Sara remarks snidely.

"Don't be rude Sara. I'm trying to put our personal grievances aside for the sake of this movie. You should try to do the same. Or don't call yourself the most mature director and writer in Hollywood because it'd be a blatant goddamn lie. Understood?" Johnny asks her.

"Don't tell—" Sara starts.

"I _said_ ," he reiterates, narrowing his eyes at her.

She scowls at him before unfolding her arms. "Okay, fine. I'm stuck with you two."

Stasi sticks her tongue out at Sara. "Don't be immature either, Stasi," he berates her.

Stasi growls. "Fine."

Johnny rubs at his temples, mentally drained from the last ten minutes of his life. "Now, I'm going in my trailer. Call me if you really need me." Without waiting for an answer from the two women, he stalks off in the direction of his trailer. Once he gets in, he sees a text from Sonya. Heart beat quickening, he picks up his phone gingerly and reads the text with baited breath. _When is your next free day this week?_ It reads.

He texts back: Uh, Friday?

She answers quickly: OK

 _That's it? Just 'ok'?_ Johnny inwardly gripes. He narrows his eyes at his phone and puts it back down, not wanting to deal with it. As an afterthought, he silences his phone before tossing it on the futon in his trailer, missing the new text from her which reads, _I really need to talk to you, it's important_.

* * *

Sonya's third attempt at wrapping her long blond hair into a low ponytail angers her already frayed nerves, though it's successful. "I ought to cut my hair again," she complains as she finally begins the tedious process of pinning the mass in place. She makes quick work of the task at hand before staring at her reddening eyes in the mirror. She splashes water on her face once again to wake herself up. "Get a grip, Blade," she tells herself before a few knocks interrupt her thoughts. "What?"

Jax enters the bathroom and her breath leaves her throat. She turns to see him in his Army service uniform, deep military blue slacks, dress shoes, his military jacket with his last standing insignia of Major pinned on the right side of his chest. "I clean up well, huh?" Sonya nods, at a loss for words. "Nervous?"

"Yeah, but not for the reason you think," she admits to him. After restoring him to life, their conversations were scarce at best. She wanted to catch him up on the years he'd missed while serving under Quan Chi but reluctantly took a backseat to his wife. But Jax had the uncanny ability to make her spill her guts to him, and now wasn't the time. So, she desperately fought against the urge to bare her soul. She didn't want to lie to him either. Maybe, she figures, she can tell him _some_ thing. _I'm pregnant, oh God no I can't tell him_ _ **that**_ _yet._ Instead, she blurts her other secret: "For the first time in six years, I think I'm in love."

"I'm not surprised," is his unexpected response. Sonya's eyes go wide. "A lot has changed. _You_ have changed. And I don't mean it in a bad way either." Sonya resembles a fish with her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Jax shakes his head affectionately. "It was bound to happen. Anyone I know?"

She frowns. "Um…" is her answer. She rubs at her forehead before turning to put her beret on her head.

He continues to tease her with, "When can I meet this lucky guy?"

 _You already have. You punched him in the nose as a regular human and you tried to kill him as a revenant,_ she thinks. "It… I'm not ready for that yet."

"Oh," he says, stroking his five o'clock shadow, "you haven't told him yet, huh?"

"Why, so he can gloat?"

"Maybe he feels the same way?" Jax reasons.

Sonya shakes her head. "No."

He frowns at her. "You don't think he feels the same way?"

"No. I mean yes. I mean… him feeling the same way isn't the issue I'm having."

He levels a pitiful look with her. "You feel like you're betraying Anderson, huh?" She nods as tears steadily fall down her cheeks. "Sonya, it's okay to mourn him. But at some point, you should let yourself fall again.

"I remember when I was figuring out how much I wanted to be with Vera," he continues, handing her several tissues from the box on her counter. "I was still young and I was just learning how to be in command of my own squad. Plus, we had a weapon dealing faction to deal with. We all knew how dangerous it was trying to go after them from the start. It didn't deter me."

She sniffles into her tissue. "I know," she whispered, trying to keep her voice even. She sighs shakily. "I just need time to sort out my feelings, I guess."

Jax gently places a hand on Sonya's shoulder. "Maybe I can help you. What's the difference between James and this new guy?"

She thinks of her answer carefully. "Well, with James it was our emotions running high. We did the late-night stake outs together and the interrogations of each suspected member. I guess we happened because… because we didn't know what was gonna happen to us.

"With… the new guy, we also did the late-night talks, but they were different. We became friends first as I'd requested and he completely respected that. Hell, I'm sure if I told him I wanted to go back to being friends he'd respect that, too. He'd be a little disappointed but he'd still keep his distance," she explains as a wave of guilt washes over her body. "I haven't spoken to him in weeks."

Jax bites his cheek thoughtfully. "You should visit him soon. Tell him how you feel."

"What if he hates me? I practically gave him the cold shoulder, Jax," she moans, sobbing into her tissue.

"I trust he won't hate you. A little annoyed, angry at best, but I don't think he'll hate you. Especially with you vouching for him respecting your feelings if you hypothetically told him you didn't want to pursue anything more than friendship."

She sighs thickly. "You're right," she finally admits. She dabs at her eyes and tries to put herself back together. "Let's go honor your life, Major Briggs."

"Will do, Major Blade," he agrees with a wink, gesturing for her to leave first.

* * *

Sonya sits attentively as the names of recent fallen soldiers and officers are being read off in alphabetical order, giving her an unwanted bout of déjà vu. She remembers how pained her heart felt as they called Jackson Briggs' name two years ago. This time, her heart soars for him as they commend him for literally risking his life for the sake of the country and honorably discharges him.

As she's about to stand up, Sandy gently grabs her arm and shakes her head slightly. Sonya raises an eyebrow curiously. "And now, it is with great pleasure to award the next rank to one of our most outstanding officers we've ever had in Special Forces," the General announces. Sonya settles back into her seat, folding her hands nice and neat across her lap. "In ten years, this officer has done us a great service by not only keeping our great land safe, but has extended her unit to include those around the world."

Sonya heart skips several beats. She whips her head to Sandy who winks, then turns her attention to Jax who's beaming from ear to ear. "Me?" she mouths to him, who places a finger on his lips. She stealthily pinches Sandy who yelps softly. "Shh," she tells her. She turns her attention back to the General.

"Major Sonya Blade, if you may join me?" he calls out to her. _Oh, God, please kid, don't make me get sick,_ she begs her body as she stands up and walks to the platform. When she gets there, she stands at attention. "With your excellent performance and success in just ten short years with us, I hereby bestow upon you the rank of Lieutenant Colonel."

"Sorry?" she squeaks nervously, earning a few chuckles throughout. "I-I mean… thank you?" Blinking back yet another fresh wave of tears, she stands straight as the silver oak leaf insignia is pinned on her uniform. He shakes her hand with a strong grip as a professional photographer takes their picture. She sits back down staring at the new pin and allows herself a small smile. _That's right, you've worked for this. Good job_ she compliments herself.

In her office later in the evening, she lies on her couch, contemplating whether to text Johnny or not. She wants to tell him her news of being promoted; half of her wished she'd just bitten the bullet and asked him to come to the ceremony but alas, it was much too late for that now. She thinks about Jax's words to her earlier. He's right, Johnny wouldn't hate her, maybe he would accept her with open arms again. Unlike her ex-fiancé making her feel wanted, Johnny makes her feel _needed_ , as if he needs her to survive. It's a new feeling for her; it's been fueling her fear these past few weeks but she decides it's time to get over it.

 _I'll just blurt it out, tell him I won't force him into parenthood and see how he'll react_ , she thinks to herself. She clears her throat and prepares to taste the words in her mouth. "I'm pregnant, and keeping it," she tries out. "Ugh, no, that's kinda harsh. Okay, I'm pregnant, but I don't expect you to help or anything. Fuck, that's even bitchier than the first shit. UGH!" She grabs a pillow from her couch and screams into it before she hears her office door opening. "Who is it?" she calls out. When they don't answer, she sits up and un-holsters her gun. "I'll fucking shoot you!"

"Really Sonya?" Blake scolds her. She lowers her gun and squints at him. "I apologize. I thought you'd… never mind. I heard about your promotion. Congratulations."

She drops her pillow and looks at Blake sitting in the chair across from her desk, so she sits in her swivel chair to face him. "I appreciate it, thank you," she tells him, folding her hands.

He nods once. "Also, I'm not sure you're aware, but I may or may not be court martialed due to… inappropriate subordinate conduct."

She blinks at him wide eyes. "Seriously? Is _that_ why you're leaving? Did they… did they—"

"They found something out, but as far as I know, you're in the clear," he swiftly answers her unvoiced question. "There was someone else and… that's who they're using against me. But since you were directly below me, you may be called into question as well."

 _Oh… great._ "Fun times," she mutters.

"My exact sentiments," he sighs. He stands up. "Well, I just wanted to congratulate you and give you the heads up. Also, before I forget, you'll be moving into my old office on Monday. Change it how you see fit. I assure you, you'll be there for a long while."

"Thank you, Blake… uh… thanks Lenny," she says with a soft smile, which he returns. "Thank you for everything."

Blake nods once and starts to leave her office when he stops at the door. "Oh, and Sonya?" She looks up at him. "Whatever it is you're going through, you'll get past it and thrive. I promise."

She rubs her eyes, trying not to cry again. "Thank you," she says above a whisper before Blake closes the door behind him.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm sure you all have surmised what's coming up in the next chapter, right? Questions, comments, concerns in the form of reviews are greatly appreciated! I answer back when I can. Thanks!


	16. Another Door Opens

**Disclaimer:** There's a tiny bit of dialogue I took from the comic, but fluffed it with my own thoughts. Other than that, I own the plot, not the characters.

 **Author's Note:** Look at me, I'm on a roll, huh? I've had most of this chapter planned for months and was finally able to link it together. You'll find some surprises in there as well. I'm also touching a little bit on Jax's experience as a revenant. Consider this a continuation of last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Another Door Opens

Sonya stands outside his apartment complex looking quite pitiful. Sure, she can take down Outworld warriors and Netherrealm demons and live to tell the tale, and she can put down a man twice her size any day of the week. But for some reason, she cannot muster the courage to tell Johnny two simple words. In her defense, these words will forever change their lives. At the same time though, she knows she can't put it off any longer. Time is of the essence for her. _Might as well get this over with_ , she preps herself before pushing the bell for his apartment. For added measure, she pushes on the button again, just in case. And her nerves cause her to press it once more. "No solicitors," she hears him grunt over the intercom. "Unless you're from the studio—"

"It's Lieutenant Colonel Blade," she interrupts him with, rolling her eyes. Why did she introduce herself like that?

Seeming genuinely shocked by her (either by hearing her voice for the first time in weeks, or by her new rank), Johnny responds with, " _Sonya_? I'll be right down."

Having just gotten out the shower, Johnny is only able to cover himself with his towel before making his way downstairs to let Sonya in. His heart pounds in his chest and he's nervous about her presence. Did someone in his family get into trouble and she wanted to spare him by being the one to tell him? Or maybe it was about that parking ticket he'd gotten a couple of days ago. He _did_ get fresh with the officer writing out the ticket, so he has no idea what to expect. Plus, it's been damn near two months (well, more like a month, a week and two and a half days, but who's counting…).

He finally reaches the door and opens it. Her appearance renders him breathless. She's in a civilian outfit of her favorite green jacket, a gray undershirt, and fitted gray sweatpants. But to him, she looks… healthy. She doesn't look like she's lost much sleep, her face is fuller, and she has a slight glow to her skin combined with the effects of the sun hitting her green eyes at the perfect angle. He smirks while she frowns. " _This_ is how you answer the door?" she scolds him.

"Only for the pretty ones," he quips.

He's not making her job any easier with his incessant flirting. "Ugh, we need to talk," she says, cutting straight to the chase.

He steps aside to let her inside the hallway. "The phrase every boy's just _dying_ to hear," he mutters. She hears him and sends a scathing glare his way. "Ladies first." She sighs and climbs up the stairs with a bit of difficulty she notes to herself. Closing the door, Johnny follows behind her and she lets herself into his condo. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

She's half tempted to say, "Scotch," but somberly remembers her position. "No," she tells him simply, sitting on his couch.

Not bothering with changing his clothes, he joins her. He leans his left elbow on the back of his couch and faces her. She opens her mouth to say something when he starts talking, "I'm so glad you came by. Last time you bailed without trying my famous shadow pancakes." She takes a deep breath and starts to say something again when he continues, "And I get it, you don't want a boyfriend. We're two consenting adults who saved the world and celebrated… like adults."

"I—" she finally squeaks, but Johnny prattles on with, "unless… maybe you've fallen in love with me—"

Pressing two fingers to his lips, she says, "For once, shut up." She waits a beat to make sure he's not going to interrupt her again. Satisfied with his undivided attention, she removes her fingers from his mouth. "I'm pregnant," she blurts.

The blood drains from Johnny's face at her admission. "W-what?" he asks, gulping nervously. _Did she just say what I_ _ **think**_ _she just said?_

She sighs. "I don't expect you to help me or anything," she continues as he gapes at her. "I mean, you have your life and your career and I have mine. Ugh, this is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever—"

"Hold on," he begins, regaining his will to talk. She sputters to a stop and looks up at him. "Do you honestly believe I'd leave you alone to take care of this kid? I may be a lot of things, Sonya," he says, pausing as he remembers all the things people have said about him over the years. "But deadbeat ain't one of them. Even if you _think_ you don't want my help, you're still getting it."

"But I have responsibilities, John," she reminds him, swallowing her tears back.

"Yeah? Well now, so do I. And you can add 'mother' and 'wife' to your list, too. You're not doing this alone. Like it or not, we're stuck together now," he tells her sincerely.

She looks up, staring straight into the blue abyss of his eyes. "You'd really help me?" she asks him. He nods, slowly but surely. "I'm warning you, I'm not giving up my career."

"We'll find a way to make it work, Sonya," he assures her before apprehensively scooting closer to her. "So… d'ya want a big wedding or a small wedding?"

"Ugh," she groans, burying her head in her hands.

"It's up to you, Sonya. We don't have to get married or anything. I'll just help you with the… with the baby," Johnny says. "Oh, God, we're having a baby," he realizes in an epiphany and his heart sinks again.

"Yeah, we are," she concedes.

* * *

In his bed late at night, Sonya is lying on her back, eyes wide open and her feet rubbing against the thin sheets. Unbeknownst to her, he's lying on his side facing away from her, awake but drifting every so often. He jolts awake when she sneezes though. "Bless you," he says.

"I didn't realize you were still awake," she tells him. He sighs. "I can't sleep."

"Me neither," he confesses. He slowly shifts in bed so he's facing her. There are so many questions he wants to ask her but doesn't want to come off as clingy, annoying, demanding, or a painful combination of all three. He just wants an explanation for her absence. "Sonya?"

"Hmm?"

He pauses. "Uh… when did you find out? About the baby?"

She swallows. "A couple of weeks ago," she answers softly.

There are a few moments of silence between them. Then, "Before or after we came back from the Netherrealm?"

She clears her throat. "After. I was the last person to have a suspicion about it," she explains. "Sandy had a feeling; I thought I was just super stressed out, as I'm sure you remember me telling you. She made me take a test and between everything going on at the base with Blake losing his stripes and such…"

"Blake lost his stripes? How?"

Welcoming the change of subject, she launches into her story about Blake's disobedience and possible demotion, how she might have to defend him during a court martial, and how she suspects this is the reasoning behind her new rank (" _That's_ why you're Lieutenant Colonel now?" he asks her in the middle of her story). "And I just… I don't know why I didn't tell you when I found out. But I was so scared. Hell, I'm _still_ scared."

"Of what I'd say?"

She shakes her head. "No. I feared what would happen between us… _before_ I found out. I thought I was going to lose you to _him_."

" _You're weak, Thunder God. Johnny Cage is mine," Quan Chi told Raiden as Sonya narrowed her eyes at the necromancer. She had enough of him taking people away from her._

" _No," she growled as she stood up, "he's mine!"_

"That son of a bitch shouldn't show his face any time soon. Shinnok's in his amulet, we've at least restored Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Jax to life. I won't say my work with Raiden is done, but at least I can focus on something else, like trying to devise a deal with Outworld or… something."

"Making sure the world is safe for little ones in the future," Johnny finishes. They lie in silence again. "I have so many more questions to ask, but I don't wanna bug you."

"You know I'll tell you when you're annoying me," Sonya reminds him.

He sighs again. "Have you gotten a sonogram yet? I want to come to your next appointment."

She chuckles. "Funny you mention it. I have an appointment tomorrow morning."

"Can I come?"

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, Johnny, you can come. I _want_ you to come."

The sound of the ocean outside fills the void of another long stretch of silence. "I want to be at every appointment from here on out. I'll get some books for us to read. Do you want to know the gender? I have a couple of ideas for names."

"I want to keep the gender a secret. The baby can have either one of your last names, but I want to name the baby. I'll… I'll just need time to think of some decent enough names. My kid… _our_ kid needs to have a powerful enough name to be respected. I was fortunate enough with my name and you made yours into what it is now."

"Damn straight," he agrees, earning a playful slap on his arm.

"I don't want my kid… I don't want the baby to suffer, which is why I'm not willing to give up my career. It's my responsibility."

"If you take some much-needed breaks occasionally, and I'll do the same," he requests.

"I will," she promises.

He pauses again before confessing, "I missed these chats between us, Sonya."

Her chin wobbles. "I missed you." She finally turns to him so they're facing each other. "I'm sorry I shut you out for so long. I didn't know what else to do."

He takes one of her hands in his and presses a kiss to the back of it. "You're forgiven, babe. I don't blame you at all."

"I thought you might've," she tells him as she scoots closer to him and wraps one arm around his neck.

"I blamed myself. I thought I did something to scare you away."

She feels bad for putting him through the mental anguish of her abrupt disappearance. So, she reassures him with a soft kiss. "I'm sorry," she apologizes again.

"You're forgiven, hon." He brings her even closer so they're nose-to-nose with each other. "I won't ever stop forgiving you for anything from here on out, okay? We're in this together."

"I know," she says. She kisses him again, biting his lower lip and tugging at his hair. "God, I missed you," she whispers as she presses herself closer to him.

As she's kissing his neck, he teases her. "This is exactly why we're having a kid now."

She pulls away from him with a scowl on her face. "Always ruining the moment, huh Cage?"

He laughs as he cuddles her. "You know you love it."

* * *

A brief stint in the bathroom with her morning sickness delays both Sonya and Johnny in making it to the doctor's office in time for their appointment. "I'm sorry ma'am, the next available appointment is at three," The medical assistant tells them regretfully.

Johnny sighs and is about to give up when Sonya gestures for him to wait. She takes out her Military ID and slides it to the young woman. "I hate to be _that_ person l, but my commanding officers won't let me return to duty unless I'm cleared. The only way that'll happen is if I make my appointment. Now, I know you need to follow protocol, but c'mon…" she pauses to read the name tag. "Elaine." Sonya gives her most dazzling smile. "For me, will you make an exception? My job involves making sure this country is safe." Sonya blinks at Elaine innocently.

Elaine gives in and heaves a sigh. "All right Lieutenant Colonel Blade. Please wait a moment." She gets up and takes Sonya's chart with her.

Sonya turns to Johnny whose eyes are wide as saucers. "Shit, I've rubbed off on you, huh?"

"Straight from the page of Cage," is her cocky response. He swoops down to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for coming with me, Johnny," she thanks him again.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he tells her just as Elaine comes back. "Hi again, Elaine."

Elaine looks up and drops her chart with Sonya's personal info on the floor. "Oh my God, you're Johnny Cage!" she breathes softly.

Sonya rolls her eyes and practically shoves the chart back into Elaine's unexpected hands. "My doctor, please?" Sonya asks, gritting her teeth.

"Yes, yes, right this way," she sputters as she beckons them to follow her. Sonya rolls her eyes but keeps quiet as they reach the examination room. "Your doctor will be here shortly," Elaine tells the pair before leaving the room to give her some privacy.

Sonya climbs up the table with Johnny's assistance and he sits on the chair near her as she tries to situate herself. "I'm nervous," she whispers.

"Me, too," he assures her as he rubs her leg in a comforting manner. "But it'll be fine."

"It better be. Me getting sick and missing all this time at work better not be in vain," she complains, folding her arms.

He chuckles under his breath. "Always the workaholic, huh?" he teases her.

"I'm not giving up my career," she says with a scowl on her face, mistaking his jest for judgement.

"I'm not judging you, honey," he clarifies and her face softens. The obstetrician enters the room and closes the door behind her. "Sup, doc," Johnny jovially greets her.

"John!" Sonya scolds him.

The doctor laughs softly. "Good morning Sonya. I'm Dr. Jensen. It says you're here for a checkup?"

"Yes ma'am," Sonya answers obediently.

"Excellent. And is this dad-to-be?"

"I'd better be," Johnny jokes.

"You're asking for a beat down, huh?" Sonya growls at him.

Dr. Jensen laughs at the couple. "You both are nervous, I can tell. Don't worry, I plan on making everything go smoothly. I just have a few questions to ask, okay?" Not trusting her voice, Sonya nods. "All right. Do you remember the first day of your last period?"

She thinks back to their first date. She'd been griping to Sandy about feeling bloated due to 'evil Aunt Flo'. "Um… I believe it was the 15th or 16th of January."

"Okay, good. And how many days would you say goes between each new cycle?"

"Like, twenty-nine? I don't know. It was pretty regular," Sonya answers.

Dr. Jensen writes some notes in her chart before inputting something on her computer. After a few moments, the obstetrician hums thoughtfully. "All right, so based on this, your possible conception date was between the very end of January and the beginning of February. Is that right?"

Johnny shrugs while Sonya nods. "Yeah, that seems exactly right," she remembers. Johnny wiggles his eyebrows at Sonya and she attempts to kick him, her foot hitting the edge of the bed instead.

"Your official due date is October 24th, though you can expect to give birth anywhere between the 3rd of October and the 8th of November. This window is just my estimate of a healthy term baby. Before we get started with the sonogram, I'll just need to do some basic tests. I'll need a urine sample from mom and blood sample from both and I'll also have to give you a pap smear, all right?"

"Yes ma'am," Sonya answers again, her nerves working overtime.

After waiting around for the results, Dr. Jensen calls them back into the room. "So, your baby is going to have a blood type of four possibilities: A negative, A positive, B negative, or B positive. I definitely want to keep an eye on you during your pregnancy to make sure your blood doesn't attack your baby's blood."

"Why would that happen?" Sonya wonders with wide eyes.

"Because your blood type of O neg is rare. Your universal donor factor combined with Johnny's universal receiver factor may pose some problems for you. No matter, as I've said, we will keep an eye on your pregnancy."

"Okay," Sonya whispers. Johnny grabs her hand and squeezes gently to reassure her.

Dr. Jensen lightly prods Sonya to lie back as she squeezes some clear jelly on Sonya's stomach. "Sorry if it's a little cold. Here we go." Moving the transducer around her stomach, Dr. Jensen watches the screen carefully. Sonya's eyes bore a hole in Johnny's head as he's concentrated on the screen as well. "There's the umbilical cord, tiny hands, tiny feet, baby's tummy," she explains as she points everything out to Johnny. "And the head. Wow, look at that!"

"What?" Sonya wonders, now turning her attention to the screen.

Johnny smiles brightly. "Kid's photogenic like his dad," he says lovingly.

Sonya rolls her eyes. "Is the baby smiling at you?"

"That's exactly what the baby is doing," Dr. Jensen tells them. "Right, everything looks and sounds normal for fourteen weeks." While this is happening, Sonya hears her faster than normal heartbeat on the monitor, so her entire body freezes when she hears extremely fast thumping. _Jesus, is that me? Calm down!_ Sonya reprimands herself. "And that is the sound of a healthy heartbeat from your baby."

"Sounds like a healthy baby to me," Johnny boasts. Sonya allows herself a small smile. He looks up at Sonya again. "Thanks again for letting me come."

"Anytime, Johnny," she tells him, staring at the screen as well.

* * *

After their appointment, Johnny blindly leads Sonya, who's reviewing her sonogram photos again, into a jewelry shop. She doesn't realize where she is until the owner greets Johnny with, "Johnny Cage, thought I'd never see you here again."

Sonya finally looks up at the expensive jewelry. "Johnny?" she asks him warily, raising an eyebrow at him.

Johnny shakes hands with the owner. "Antonino, my main man, how've you been?"

The average height man tosses his curly brown hair back. "You know, same old, same old. What about you? Who's this beautiful young lady?"

Sonya blushes at Antonino's words. "I'm Lieu— er… I'm Sonya," she tells him on second thought. She shakes his hand with a firm grip.

"Wow, firm grip you've got there, Sonya. I'm impressed," he compliments her. She nods and goes back to her pictures. "What brings you in?"

Johnny gently eases the pictures out of her hands and turns her around the store. He bends a bit to whisper in her ear, "Consider this a late birthday gift."

"I don't need jewelry, Johnny. You know I'm not a flashy person," she says.

He levels a look with her. "It won't be just _any_ type of jewelry," he tells her seriously. Her eyes widen at his hint. "Go on, pick what you'd like. It's on me."

"I…" she starts. "Oh," she breathes. She finds herself in front of an enclosed case of silver band engagement rings. She bends down, scrutinizing each piece carefully until her eyes settle on a diamond encrusted silver ring with an emerald cut diamond in the center. It was unlike her previous engagement ring which was gold and a solitaire cut passed on from generation to generation of her ex-fiancé's family. She always told her friends if she ever had the chance to choose her own ring, she'd know exactly how it would look. And she's thoroughly convinced she's staring right at her one true ring pair. "This one," she tells Antonino.

Antonino steps behind the case and takes out the ring for her. "Ooh, fancy. It looks like silver, but the metal is platinum, which is highly durable. Quarter carat diamonds circle around it and that center piece is three carats. It's really nice and it'll last you a long time."

"She'll need it. She's in the military," Johnny tells him.

"John!" she snaps, her head turning towards Johnny. Antonino is staring with curious eyes, so she laughs nervously. "I uh… yeah, I'm in Special Forces."

Antonino nods, impressed. "Cool. What's your rank? Or is that inappropriate to ask? You know what, you don't gotta answer that."

"It's fine. I was actually just promoted to Lieutenant Colonel," she tells him.

Antonino whistles low. "Impressive. Johnny, you've got quite the woman here. Cherish her. You don't come across someone like her very often."

Johnny beams, hugging her across her waist. "I know. I plan on it. How much do I owe you?"

As Antonino packages the ring carefully into a black velvet box, he says, "Thirty-nine."

"Hundred?" Sonya asks nervously. "That's a lot."

"You're also very modest, but no," Antonino tells her. He hands the box to Johnny and corrects her with, "Thousand."

Sonya chokes on air. "John Robert Carlton!" she cries in a strangled voice. "I… Jesus, that's a lot for _one_ ring!"

"You picked it, babe," he reminds her playfully and she can't refute his statement. "Here," he tells Antonino, handing him a black card. "Charge it." Antonino takes the card and walks to the register as Johnny stands in front of her and gets on one knee. "Sonya Annette Blade—"

"Oh, sweet mother of Jesus," she mutters, covering her face.

"Hush, I'm trying to be romantic," he says. She's about to retort with, "In a jewelry shop?" but doesn't want to ruin his moment, so she stays quiet. "We've been through a lot. And I really mean a lot. Like, we've literally been through hell and back and everything in between."

"That's for sure," she agrees.

He stares at her. "And if someone asked me if I could go back in time and do it over, I'd do it all again ten-fold."

Sonya gives him a warm smile, but before she can respond, Antonino calls him. "Yeah, it didn't go through."

"Try it again. It'll realize it's me making a big purchase," he instructs the jewelry store owner. Turning his attention back to Sonya, he continues, "And I know our situation isn't ideal, but I'm prepared to make the best of it for years to come… because I love you." Her breath catches in her throat. "And it's okay if you're not ready to say it yet; you don't have to just because I said it. I don't want you to feel pressured, okay?" Unable to speak, she nods. "Let's continue to fight for peace within our realm together, side by side. So… will you marry me?"

"Sign," Antonino tells him.

"In a second." Johnny turns to Sonya who nods. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes," she tells him and he slips the ring on her finger. "Just remember I'm in charge, okay?"

"You got it babe… honey," he amends his statement as he kisses her gently. "Hold that thought." He goes over to Antonino and signs for the ring. "Also, you can have this back," he says as he gives the owner his black velvet box back. "Thanks dude."

"Anytime, friend! And congrats Miss Sonya. Johnny's a good guy."

She smiles proudly at her fiancé. "I know," she gloats.

* * *

Her pregnancy doesn't fully dawn on Sonya until she tries to squeeze into her favorite pair of jeans a few days later. "C'mon!" she grunts, jumping up and down. She gives up when they can't zip all the way up without causing discomfort. "Mother fucker!" she screams into the air. She wriggles out of her pants and throws them across the room angrily, knocking over a lamp.

Johnny hears the crash and walks into his room with a look of concern on his face. "Sonya?"

"Fuck this shit, I'm not fucking going," she whines, folding her arms across her (now blossoming) chest.

With a soft look of sympathy, he guides her to the bed and sits down on the bed, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry your pants won't fit, but that's no reason to skip out on Jax's party. He wants you there, hon."

"I can't fit into my regular pants!" she cries. She pouts some more. "What am I supposed to wear?" He gets up and walks over to his dresser, pulling out one of his sweat pants. He tosses it to her and it lands by her hand. "I'm not wearing sweatpants to a party. I'm not _that_ desperate."

"No, but we are going shopping for new clothes. Come on, put those on and a sweater and let's go. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Rolling her eyes, she obliges and puts some clothes on as Johnny watches innocently. "My boobs are humongous," she complains.

"I'm not complaining," he jokes. She pinches him. "Such a mean military mama to be."

She stands up with his assistance. "Make no mistake Cage, I will still kick your ass," She says as threateningly as she can muster. Unfortunately, Johnny doesn't take her seriously. "Shut up!" she says, laughing too hard to stay serious.

A few hours later, Sonya manages to put an outfit together: she's wearing a cap sleeved floral dress which falls about mid thigh, a light rinse jeans jacket, and a new pair of black suede calf boots. As Johnny is driving, she's quiet. Finally, he breaks the silence with, "What's on your mind?"

"I'm gonna tell Jax about us," She blurts after a while. His eyebrows fly up in shock but doesn't say anything. "I want him to know. Possibly come to… the wedding?"

"So, you _do_ wanna get married?"

She stares at him incredulously. "I wouldn't have accepted your proposal otherwise, Johnny."

He takes a deep breath. "I know," he says. "I just… I still doubt myself, that's all."

She nods. "I understand. I didn't help ease your thoughts either I suppose." He shrugs. "I'll try to work on it."

"We both will. I can tell you haven't had the greatest relationship track record. And believe it or not, neither have I."

"Oh?" She wonders.

He sighs as he takes a left turn. "There's a reason why I'm so hostile with Cindy. She's the who dumped me but acts like the victim. We weren't perfect, but I tried. And our relationship with each other and alcohol wasn't healthy.

"It took a lot for me to get to where I am right now. And I don't want to screw it up again. Not this time," he explains. He's careful in failing to mention his actual marriage, but his words are still true.

"I was cheated out of a wedding once," she admits to him. They arrive at the base but make no immediate effort to get out of the car. He shuts off the engine and turns to her. "I never got the chance to see if marriage was for me. I want to try for my sake, if not for the baby."

"What happened to your other fiancé?" he wonders softly.

She turns to him with a sad look in her eyes. "What do _you_ think?"

He gulps. "Oh," he says. "I'm really sorry, hon."

"Do you understand why I don't want to lose you? Why I lost my shit in the Netherrealm when revenant Jax stabbed you?"

He nods. "And why you gave pasty face the beatdown of his life, according to Raiden. Well, maybe not in those words, but yeah."

Sonya laughs darkly at the memory. "You should've seen me. I scrambled the fuck out of his eggs," she laughs.

Johnny's eyes go wide but he bursts into laughter as well, joining Sonya in her mirth. "Scrambled eggs a la Sonya. Holy shit, that's a sight to see."

She smiles. "You would've been proud of me."

He gives her a one-armed side hug. "Of course, baby! I _am_ proud. I'll _always_ be proud of you," he promises tenderly. He lifts her chin with one finger and presses his lips to hers softly. "Come on. Let's go officially welcome Jax back to Earthrealm." She nods and they both make their way out of his car and into the building, going through security and getting the appropriate clearances. When they enter the cafeteria, Johnny announces his arrival with a cheerful, "Here's Johnny!"

While many of the guys in Sonya's brigade greet him, Sandy bounces over to Sonya. "Major Blade-y! Oh wait, shit, you're not major anymore," she remembers. "Lieutenant Colonel Blade-y! Gross, that doesn't have a fun ring to it. Blade-y!" she finally settles on.

Sonya laughs. "I think you can shorten it to Colonel," she tells Sandy, who's relieved face humors her. "How are you?"

Sandy gives Sonya a once over, approving of her outfit. "I'm great. Don't you look like a hot sexy mama!"

"Shh!" Sonya warns her, pressing her fingers to the younger woman's lips. "Not so loud, all right? I'm not ready to announce that yet." Sonya wraps one arm around Sandy and drags her to the punch bowl. "Is this spiked?" Sandy shakes her head. "Good." Sonya pours herself a glass and refills Sandy's. She sighs and takes a sip. "So, what's been going on thus far?" she asks, referring to the party.

Sandy shrugs. "Not much to be honest. It's been relatively mild, so to speak. I'm sure it'll change because Johnny's here."

Sonya rolls her eyes affectionately. "I'm enthused," she says sarcastically.

Sandy eyes her. "Speaking of," she starts as they both look over to see Johnny and another sergeant play fighting. "I take it you've told him the thingy and he took it well?"

Sonya nods through another sip of juice. "Mmm hmm," she confirms. "In fact." Sonya holds up her left hand to show Sandy her ring. Sandy gasps and grabs her hand. "He let me pick it out, but he paid for it."

"Oh, my goodness!" Sandy squeals. She jumps up and down, forgetting her punch which spills over her hand. "Fuck this," she says while putting her cup on the table. "This is fucking gorgeous. Damn, you got some expensive taste woman! But oh my God! Congrats Blade-y!" Sandy squeezes Sonya into a near bone crushing hug.

"Ow, ow, ow, easy Sandy! Bun in the oven, remember?" Sonya yelps as she loosens her hold. Sandy lets go and rubs her tummy. " _Sandy_!" She bats Sandy's hand away. "I haven't told anyone yet!"

"I'm sorry. I'm just hella fucking excited for you. Aww Mama Blade. Aha!"

Sonya smiles tenderly. "Thanks, Sandy." She gives Sandy a small hug before she catches a glimpse of Jax. "Jax!" she calls out. "I'll be right back." Sandy dismisses her wordlessly. Sonya makes her way over to Jax who's conversing with one of her lieutenants. "Hey Jax," she greets him softly. "Good evening Lieutenant DeMarco."

"Evening, Colonel," DeMarco greets her with a nod. "I'll leave you two alone," he says before stepping away.

"Good to see you, Sonya. I honestly didn't think you'd come," he tells her, giving her a side hug. "Feeling any better from last time?"

She nods. "Emotionally, yes. Physically, not so much. But there's a reason for that," she tells him.

"Oh?" he wonders. He raises an eyebrow at her. "Let's find somewhere private." He guides her to a small alcove which leads to a small room with a couple of round tables and some chairs. He pulls out a seat for her and she nods to him in appreciation. He sits across from her and places his cup down. "What's on your mind? Did you fix everything with your guy?"

She nods. "You were right; I explained why I gave him the cold shoulder and he forgave me. He blamed himself for my disappearing act and I had to tell him it wasn't his fault."

"Glad to hear it," Jax tells her with a smile. "Is he away on a mission or something?"

"Mmm, not exactly," she tells him. Jax takes a sip from his whiskey thoughtfully. She takes a deep breath. "He's here."

Jax's eyebrows are fully raised now. "Really? Nice. When can I meet him?"

Sonya twiddles her thumbs nervously. "See, that's the thing. You've met him before… more times than you'll remember."

"I _have_?"

She sputters for a bit before settling on, "It's complicated." _Just tell him_ , she convinces herself. "Well… remember that actor from the tournament whom you hated because you thought he was too cocky?"

"You mean Johnny Cage?" he clarifies. She nods. "Yeah…" he says slowly. He puts his drink down and leans back. "What about him?"

"I… well we've… I…" she stutters for a bit as Jax furrows his eyebrows. "It's him. It's been him for a while."

"Huh," he says. He takes a moment to digest the information before speaking again. "Well, I guess I can see that. You both were the only ones who survived Shao Kahn's attack. You both simultaneously became the champions and Earthrealm's protectors. No one else would understand unless they were directly involved with the tournament and everything."

"Right," she agreed.

"And," he continues, "as I've said before. People change. If you of all people managed to fall for his charm and charisma as faulty as they are, I'd have to believe he did a major 180 as well."

"Exactly."

Jax takes another sip of his whiskey. "I assume there's more?"

Sonya purses her lips. "Nothing gets past you, huh?"

Jax strokes his chin. "I unfortunately remember much more than I'd like about… about me being a revenant; many things I'd like to forget. But the one thing I remembered right before I passed out and became human again was the way you looked at him when Raiden healed him. It was tender and caring… and loving, but above all relieved. Relieved he wouldn't be another person you loved whom you've lost to war.

"And when we ran into each other before Shinnok was summoned, he gave you the same look. Obviously as a revenant, it made me sick. But in the back of my mind, in the _sane_ part of my mind, it was touching. And I'd lost hope a long while before being restored, but in that same part of my mind, I had no doubt he'd take care of you the way you deserve to be taken care of."

Sonya listens intently to Jax. After a few moments of silence, she talks again. "You're absolutely right." Then slowly, she slides her left hand into his line of vision and it's hard for him to miss the massive rock now occupying her ring finger. "That's why I need you to give me away, officially."

Jax stares at Sonya's hand in shock. Despite everything he'd just told her, he asks, bewildered, "You're engaged?" She nods and smiles. "Well, congratulations. I'm truly happy for you Sonya."

"There's more," she politely interjects with. Jax closes his mouth and waits. She opens her small cross body bag and pulls out a picture of her sonogram. "Also… will you be the godfather to my baby?"

He stares at the picture with wide eyes and an open mouth. "Jesus, you're pregnant, too?!" She nods abashedly. Calmly, he puts the picture down and looks up at her. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. Sonya, I leave you alone for a couple of years and you go and fall in love and get engaged?"

"And pregnant," she teasingly reminds him.

"Right, right," he says. "And pregnant. Oh, man." He sits back on his chair and rubs his head. "My loyal soldier turned officer is engaged."

"And pregnant. I can't forget it, so neither can you," she tells him.

"Right. Jesus." They're silent for a while. Then, "How far along are you?"

She thinks for a second. "As of right now, I'm nearly fifteen weeks. Fourteen and four," she specifies. She frowns. "Wait… you said 'too' when you asked me if I was pregnant."

Jax nods before taking out a picture of his own. "It's early but I trust you. You're family. With that said, you'll have to be the godmother to my baby."

Sonya covers her mouth with her hands. "Oh my God, Vera's pregnant?! YES!" she cheers. She stands up and embraces Jax into a brotherly hug. When she pulls away, she slaps his chest playfully. "You old dog, you work fast, huh?" she teases.

Jax rolls his eyes. "I see Cage's sense of humor has rubbed off on you," he notes dryly. She blushes. "But yes, it's true. She's about seven weeks pregnant. She's due a couple of weeks before Christmas. What about you?"

"A week before Halloween," she tells him.

"Fun," he says with a smile, "the holidays at our homes will be fun from here on out, huh?"

"You bet. I'm excited; I can't wait to dress our kids in almost matching styles."

"Good Lord, you and Vera will be driving Johnny and me crazy, huh?"

"Damn straight," Sonya laughs. Johnny finds the two of them and she spots him first. "Hi Johnny."

"Sup tin man," Johnny greets as Jax frowns. "I take it you told him the news?"

Sonya nods. Jax stands in front of Johnny, nearly towering over him. Johnny, with wide eyes, stares straight back at him, trying not to be intimidated. _Maybe I shouldn't have called him tin man. Good going, dumb ass_ , he scolds himself. With a smile, Jax holds out his metal hand. "Put it here, Cage." Relieved, Johnny grins and gives Jax a firm handshake. "We'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future Cage… Johnny."

"For sure. And I'm sorry I called you tin man. It wasn't appropriate," Johnny apologizes to Jax. Impressed, Jax looks back at Sonya who's beaming brightly. "I couldn't resist though," he adds, causing Sonya to groan and slap a hand over her forehead.

Jax chuckles. "Some things don't change," he says kindheartedly.

* * *

 **A/N:** What'd you think? Did I do Jax a little bit of justice in terms of him readjusting to life outside the Netherrealm? Please review as always. They're much appreciated :)


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